Immortal
by anita11
Summary: I didn't have any memories of being human or normal. All I had was disparity. Disparity and change followed me everywhere—haunting me. I was done being a victim. Change was the main theme in my life. Physically, I changed quickly and it was finally time for my life to change too. Original SM characters and pairings. OC/NC. NOT a FemSlash. Rated M for Adult subjects. Summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** **This story begins 4 years after Breaking Dawn and will continue for several generations after. This story is part 1 of a 3 part saga and will center on Jake and Nessie but will include new characters and adjacent story lines as well. We will also get Leah's story and her imprint. Pieces of the last 4 years will also be revealed. I tried to stay true to all SM characters and pairings. Rated M for adult subjects.**

**Author note: This story and this saga is quite long. There are 26 chapters alone for this story so please keep reading because it gets more interesting as the story and characters develop. Also, I try to update a much as I can. As I said in my bio, this story is already complete, I post chapters as soon as I finish editing them. Its not going to be an everyday update situation because, I do have a life; however, this is also not going to be one of those one chapter a month stories, so please add me to your story and author alerts.**

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

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**Renesmee**

"What do you think the boys are doing?" She asked Leah without turning to her. I already knew that this question was not being directed to me. To her, I was just company; I was un-relatable, maybe even scary so I was never a true part of her life. Nevertheless, I felt bad for her. She must be bored and ready to leave by now.

"I don't know." Leah told her as she shifted to lay on her stomach. Her eyes still closed, she was facing me. "Probably eating Esme out of house and home." I could see her smile at that thought. I wondered what was amusing about it. Hungry wolf boys should not be unusual to her. Anna also turned to lay on her stomach and sighed. I followed their lead not wanting to be impolite. It was silly to invite me to sunbathe at the beach today. Though I did enjoy these scarce sunny days, I couldn't tan. They both knew this.

A part of me wondered if their invitation was out of politeness or perhaps some alternate plan to get Anna to like me. I knew Leah enjoyed my company so I was certain she wanted me there. Leah was my best and only friend. Her brother, Seth, was always an uncle to me. After, their mother married my grandfather two years ago, he was officially my uncle Seth but it was different with Leah. I never called her aunt, nor did she want me to. She never coddled me or treated me like a child. To her, I was just Renesmee. I never told her how much I appreciated this but it is one of the reasons why she is so important to me. She was always able to see beyond what was in front of her, to see the real me.

"So Nessie, what is Alice making us wear tonight for the bonfire?" Leah she continued our conversation, her eyes still closed.

"I saw her with some bags from the new boutique in Portland. I'm sorry but I didn't really pay much attention to what she was saying." Aunt Alice had walked in this morning raving about the new boutique with excitement. Normally, I would join her enthusiasm but I had other things on my mind. Leah sighed, knowing why I was distracted.

"You still want to start school this fall." It wasn't a question. She looked at me this time. Her brows furrowed, thoughtfully.

"What?" I asked, confused by her expression.

"I've been thinking about it and I think I might have the solution to your problem. Why don't you let _me_ pitch it to Eddie this time? "

"I have no problem that. But you should know that Jacob and Seth already tried and failed—miserably, might I add."

"Those two idiots are no match against a 100+ old overbearing vampire who thinks he knows it all. I may not be older than him but, in many ways, I am much wiser than dear old Eddie. I promise you that you will be attending school this fall. Trust me." She closed her eyes again and faced the sun still smiling.

"I always do." I trusted Leah had her ways of outsmarting my father. I smiled at her knowing that whatever argument she had planned would work.

My father didn't understand that I was an anomaly. I was something that shouldn't exist and, for once in my life, I wanted to have something that was normal. Unlike vampires and shape shifters, I didn't come from a normal human background. I didn't have any memories of being human or normal. All I had was disparity. Disparity and change followed me everywhere—haunting me. I was done being a victim. Change was the main theme in my life. Physically, I changed quickly and it was finally time for my life to change too.

It was a silly request, almost childish, when you consider the excellent education I was already getting; but, I wanted to go to school in the worst way. My father didn't understand why I needed this. He and my family could provide and have provided me with an education that was superior to that of even the most exclusive private schools. Sure, he understood my need to develop social relationships other than those of my family. 'Real friends'. However, he did not understand the other element—the part that made me want this more than anything.

For the past 4 years, every time I looked in the mirror in the mornings there was someone different, older staring back. I was different, something other, something that stood apart from everyone else around me. They all have some human past to ground them to this world, to link them to humanity but what did I have? I had a sheltered life, full of supernatural beings. Additionally, everyone that was in my life was in it because they had to be, because they were my family or imprinted or bound to a pack that had sworn to protect me. I did not have one true friend. Even Leah, who is the closest thing I have to a true friend, is still bound to me because I am her alpha's imprint. Though a part of me knows that even if she was human she would be my friend, the rational part of me also acknowledges that our friendship was an anomaly. I was stuck in this 12-13 year old body, a girl of her age and a girl of my age would not be best friends in the human world. Anna was closer to my age in looks but Leah was closer to my age in mind and interests. It wasn't always like this. I always had the mind and understanding of an adult but there was an innocence to it. It was almost a year ago that my mind had a growth spurt of sorts and my body was slowly trying to keep up. Normally people don't notice when they are maturing but my change was so abrupt that it was impossible not to. I no longer held interest in dolls or cartoons or any of the things that I liked a few days prior. My mind would reason things differently than it had before. At first they thought that I was depressed because a few months prior, one of my dearest friends, my 'little brother', had left us to return home. I took a deep breath in a vain attempt to calm the worry that usually accompanied my thoughts of him. Nevertheless, it wasn't depression. Once again I had changed. Once again I was different.

"I don't get why you'd want to go to school anyways. High school sucks! Trust me if I had the option I would totally choose homeschooling." Anna said, finally joining one of our conversations. Anna was the only imprint my age, or at least the age I appeared to be. Brady imprinted on her when 2 years ago. This year Jacob decided that we should be friends and would encourage us to spend time together; however, she never came to my house and I was never alone with her. I had a feeling that either she or Brady were afraid that something would happen, that I would loose control.

"Well... Then maybe we can switch places." I smiled at her. She lifted her body, putting her weight on her elbows so that she could look at me over Leah's body. She had a pensive look on her face before it turned into a frown.

"No, you're right. Homeschooling with OCD vampires who expect you to know everything would suck even more." She said as she nodded her head.

"Especially with a teacher that can read your mind to tell if you didn't do your homework." I reminded her.

"OMG! That would really suck!" She shuddered and scrunched up her nose in disproval. Leah and I both chucked as we continued to sunbathe and talk. It was days like these that made me appreciate the seemingly everlasting rain of the Olympic peninsula. It made the sunny days brighter and even more special.

* * *

**Leah**

We were in the middle of forest behind the new Cullen house. We both faced each other with our arms crossed, staring. I had not said a word yet but he already knew what I wanted to talk to him about. He already knew I intended to get my way. He sighed, finally, probably realizing why I was going to get my way this time.

"You really shouldn't make promises you can't keep, Leah." He looked at me with that annoyed look he always had when someone challenged him. He can be such a whiney baby sometimes. I really don't know how Bella can stand him when he's like this. Oh yea, cause she's a whiney bitch too.

"Do you really not get it? Are you that dense?" I threw my arms up in the air, exasperated with him.

"Leah..." Bella sighed and moved away from the dead tree she was sitting on to put her arms around her now visibly pissed off husband. "We get it. We just think it would be better if she waited a few more years until she is full grown. She'll be more controlled, her rapid growing won't put us at risk, and she will still get to experience high school for the first time. I'm sure it'll still be as 'thrilling' then as it would be now." She rolled her eyes when she said thrilling. I shook my head. She was just as stupid as he was.

"She is growing, changing and she hates that." I told them both as if they didn't already know. "She hates her body because it doesn't represent who she is. She sees change as the thing that's wrong with her life because it's what keeps her from being normal. I get that if she goes to school now, it's not going to make her stop growing but at least she'll get a chance to experience something that she can only experience once in her lifetime."

"What that's that?" She asked me incredulously. Moron! Her Eddie was a bit more sober now that he could see where I was going with this.

"This is her only chance to go to school and have friends that grow and change _with_ her. Sure she already knows the material and is more mature than them but if she goes now she'll finally share something that's normal with these humans. This is the only chance she'll get to BE normal. To BE human. If you wait until she's full grown then she'll be stagnant while everyone else grows and changes. When she realizes that being stagnant actually is the thing that separates her from them she is going to hate herself even more and she is going to be even more isolated." I had more to say but I stopped because they both looked at each other. I saw the change in their eyes. That's right leech, I win! Ha! I get to keep my promise after all.

"Yes, you do." He told me with a smirk. "Thank you for pointing all of this out to us."

"Wait Edward. What about losing control or changing too quickly? Things might happen that we won't be able to explain to the humans." Bella looked at Edward with concern.

"Leah already thought about that. She thinks Renesmee should attend school with Anna and the younger wolves at the tribal high school. 'They have experience with growth spurts and weird there'." He quoted my exact thoughts, smirking at my choice of adjectives. As long as I get my point across, I didn't really care. Bella smiled at him again, finally getting it. She was usually a lot faster than this but I got why she was so afraid. It would only take one mistake to make them come after her again. This was something we all wanted to prevent.

"Thank you Leah." She smiled at me. Her tone held some emotion I couldn't pin point. I stared at her grateful and relived expression and that's when I realized that she wanted this too. She wanted to give this opportunity to her daughter just was badly as Renesmee wanted it, if not more. She just didn't know how until now.

"Yea well... you know look for any opportunity to outsmart Eddie." I gave them my best smile and ran back to the backyard where we had left everyone so that I could make my argument in private without idiot triplets, Emmett, Embry, and Jacob, interrupting us. As I left, I could hear his too content sigh and her not so quiet giggle. Yuck! I guess it's up to me to give Renesmee the good news. This was gonna be a whole new experience for the kid. I just hopped she was ready for all the drama that high school kids go through. That particular part might be very amusing for me or very annoying. A gorgeous, genius, half leech who's imprinted to an alpha around horny teenage boys and jealous hormonal teenage girls. What could possibly go wrong?!

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**Ps. I would like to remind you, that, all authors like feedback so... if the chapter is new, please review! :-)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

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**Renesmee**

My face and my body change so fast that some days it feels like I can barely recognize myself in the mirror. So this morning I took my time to look at the girl staring back at me. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes wider than usual, and her mouth was tight on one corner as she straitened her blouse. I hadn't realized it until I looked at her that I was nervous. A part of me worried that my chances of befriending a human were small because they would be able to tell I was different. Nevertheless, I still hoped. I knew that the academic component of high school would not be a problem. I just had to focus on the social part. All I needed to do was pretend I was human; however, this scared me. Especially, since, I still wasn't confident about my ability to keep my thoughts to myself when someone touched me. To top things off, Anna said that she would meet me before school to show me around. She never seemed comfortable around me, which made this first day of school experience more nerve wracking. I wonder if she liked me at all or if she purposefully treated me different.

"Did you ever consider that it was the other way around?" I heard my father ask behind me. I turned to see him leaning against the doorframe smirking at me.

_What do you mean? I don't treat her any different than I do the other members of the pack, do I?_ I asked him mentally.

"Well, you don't but maybe you should. You are more mature than her. Your vocabulary is different, your knowledge of almost every subject is advanced, and even the expressions you use have a level of sophistication that is beyond that of a teenager. You are very confident in your opinions on any subject of conversation, which is something I love about you. Teens today do not think about matters enough to form strong opinions. It's even more evident when you are with Leah and the other older members of the pack. Any teenager would find this a bit intimidating because they can't keep up."

"I'll try to keep that in mind. Though, I don't think portraying insecurity will be a problem for me today." He smiled as he approached me. Taking my face in his hands, he kissed my forehead like he had done thousands of times before.

"You will do great. Jacob is on his way. I'll call when he's downstairs." He gave me his crooked smile before he walked out the door. As he walked out I saw the message light on my phone turn on. I pressed the power button and saw that I had received an email. I pressed the little envelope on the screen and smiled as I read its content.

**_Nessie_**

**_Congratulations on your first day of school. You seemed so excited in your last email. I hope that it is everything you desired. Enjoy this adventure for both of us but remember to be careful. The only person I want to torture on my next visit to Forks is Rosalie;-) _**

**_Always_**

**_DV_**

I felt a pressure in my heart as I thought of my little brother. I had only known him for about 5 months but in that short time we had become family. Like brother and sister. I hated no knowing if he was really ok. I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was safe, I just didn't know if he was being cared for. We all worried about this but nothing could be done about it.

I took my new school bag, containing all of my supplies, and gave myself one last look.

"I can do this." I told the still nervous girl that looked back at me and I walked out my bedroom door to wait downstairs for Jacob to pick me up.

* * *

_About a Year ago..._

We sat at around the small table staring intently at each other's eyes. Jacob's eyes narrowed slightly as did Leah's. The tension between them was palpable. I really wanted to laugh at their intensity but I held my ground. I kept my face clear of emotion, imitating my parents and my vampire relatives in their statuesque form and manner.

"If you really think you got balls then show me Alpha boy," she said to him in almost a growl.

"Fine! I fold!" Jacob threw his cards on the table to show a pair of 3's. He was pouting. I broke my frozen pose and smiled at him to reassure him.

"What are you smiling at kid. Read 'em and weep." She showed me her strait with a triumphant smile. I smiled back at her and giggled as I laid down my strait flush.

"Damn it Jake! Why the hell did you show this genius twerp to play poker! This is all your fault!" Jacob picked me up from my spot at the coffee table and placed me on his lap, surrounding me with his protective arms.

"Stop whining and hand over the cash Clearwater!" Then he kissed the top of me head and continued, "Good job, Nessie. Next time, we'll play the guys and see if we can make you a little richer." I giggled again as Leah took out a $20 dollar bill and gave it to me.

"Yeah, yeah, good job kid. But next time go hustle your uncles. They can actually afford it." I smiled at her.

"How about I treat you to dinner with this money. I want to see uncle Seth anyway. Will you take me after dinner?"

"I can take you, Ness." But I shook my head and turned so that I could face him.

"No, Jakey, you lost to Leah so you have to patrol tonight. Its not nice to go back on a promise." Leah was smirking and Jacob pouted even more. He started tickling me but stopped when we heard aunt Alice gasp. Jacob stood still holding me in his arms.

"I see a Volturi crest." Her small voice was aghast. "Damn it! I can't tell who or when with the wolves here!" We heard a car park outside almost immediately. Jacob started trembling and handed me over to momma who had practically materialized next to us at the mention of the Volturi. The entire family was now in the living room with us.

"How the hell did they even get past the pack?" Jacob growled angrily.

"He rented a car."

"Seriously! They can rent cars and drop at our doorstep? Why the hell do we have guard dogs for?!" Uncle Emmett said earning a growl from both wolves. There was a knock on the door.

"It's just Felix. Its ok, he needs our help." Daddy told us. Grandpa Carlisle nodded once and proceeded to open the door. The first thing I noticed was the dark cloak that haunted my nightmares. I hugged momma's neck tighter. Then I noticed he was holding bright modern baby carrier. It looked odd against the ancient vampire.

"I am here on my behalf, not theirs." He said almost in a growl, "I know we have our... differences but this is a sensitive matter and you are the only ones I could trust." He looked at my grandfather when he said trust. Grandpa looked at him and looked at the baby inside the carrier.

"Come in, son. As long as you are not here to hurt my family, you are welcome in this home."

Felix stepped in and placed the carrier on the coffee table where we had been playing poker. I could see the baby, wrapped in blankets. He was beautiful. Fair skin brushed with rosy rounded cheeks. His hair was dark, almost all black. He had a small but well defined nose and chin. His eyes were wide and aware. Blue eyes, that looked both scared and sad. I don't know why but I needed to comfort him. I needed to show him it was ok. I climbed down momma's embrace. She held my hand as we both approached the baby. I looked up at Felix to make sure he was ok with this. His eyes were narrowed in uncertainty but he nodded at me and then at my momma. I took the little baby's hand and smiled as he wrapped his fist around two of my fingers. I showed him a picture of my family playing outside. I showed him how we all loved each other and how we would never hurt him. He smiled at me.

"What's his name?" Momma asked Felix.

"His name is Duilio... Duilio Marco de Volturi. He is Marcus's son and he is in danger." Everyone in the room looked at each other but I looked at my father. I could see his face was hard. He was angry.

"Why? Who would be stupid enough to harm a Volturi prince?" Momma asked him.

"Aro." Daddy explained. Felix looked at him.

"Please explain. I have a feeling you have much to tell us." Grandpa told him. He signaled for him to sit on the couch. Felix seemed unsure about the offer but then he looked at me and seemed to understand something I hadn't at that time. He realized I was scared and grandpa was trying to make the situation as relaxed as possible. Felix took off his cloak and handed it to grandma who put it in the coat closed for him. Everyone took a place in the living room. Momma and I sat on the floor, next to the Duilio. I was on her lap.

"The discovery of your granddaughter and the other hybrids has opened a new door in Aro's mind. Caius was and is still completely against it. He considers them all an abomination. Aro tried it for himself at first but they were all failures. You were very lucky. Your Bella was more unique than you expected. Aro commissioned a scientist named Davy to try to figure out why they were unsuccessful. I believe you know of him." He told grandpa.

"Yes, I do. Sir Humphrey Davy. I did not know he was one of us."

"He was fairly famous in his time so Aro _suggested_ he keep a low profile in his afterlife. He has done well at that. Davy helped Aro discover that, aside from the more practical difficulties that a vampire must face when impregnating a human female and the difficulty is to find that is not on birth control, not every human female is strong enough to carry these children. He tried to artificial insemination as well but as he predicted, it was useless."

"Why? A lot of women get pregnant using artificial insemination?" Jacob asked him.

"For the same reason we cannot change a human by merely spitting in their morning coffee. There has to be a direct connection between us and them through the blood. Anyway, with all the discouraging news Aro was less enthusiastic. We realized the reason Joham only had 5 children was because they are quite difficult to create even if he remained controlled during the _process_. It took Joham thousands of women and over a century to get the 5 children he has.

"No one suspected that Marcus would be interested in Aro's experiments. He never had. He was always indifferent to everything that happened in Volterra. Then six weeks ago he locked a human girl in a room and calmly explained that she was pregnant with his seed. Aro was extremely pleased. He made sure she had everything she needed. When Duilio ripped out of her, Aro was ebullient. Marcus showed no signs of interest for the boy. He remained the same as he always was at first. But last week he started to change. He was asking questions, he started addressing the guard, questioning Aro. Needless to say, Aro did not like this. He sees this as a threat to his reign.

"You are all too young to know this but there is a reason why Marcus is so important to Aro. In the beginning, the guard belonged to Marcus. Marcus was a warrior and he personally trained each one of his guard."

"Marcus? A warrior?" Uncle Emmett asked doubtfully.

"Yes. He was one of the greats. Marcus had the skills of both a warrior and the magnetism of a politician. A Cesar of his day. All of the original guard followed Marcus' command during the Romanian war. We would have followed him to our death, Chelsea or no Chelsea. He was powerful, a commander, and this is why Aro was drawn to him. Aro had the vision, Marcus that the knowledge and power to accomplish his vision and Caius had the bloodthirsty drive to see it through. This is why they were so successful. The only problem was that even though Aro was lethal, he no warrior. When Marcus married Aro's sister, Aro thought he had his loyalty for eternity. Now that Didyme is _gone_," he said this word and looked at daddy who narrowed his eyes before Felix continued. "Marcus has no real loyalty to Aro. If Marcus awakens, Aro knows he may lose his place if he decides to take the guard back."

"Alright, but what does this have to do with the child?" Grandpa asked him.

"Yesterday, Aro asked Marcus in front of the guard if he was going to claim the boy as his son. Marcus still remained uninterested and said he has never found need for a son. Since, Marcus has yet to claim him as his son, the boy is merely an experiment and in Aro's eyes he is a failed experiment, not a member of the Volturi family. Aro took this as his opportunity. He knew that Duilio was the reason why Marcus was awakening so asked me to remove the child and kill it. The bothers have an unspoken rule that they cannot harm someone the other has claimed. As long was the boy is unclaimed he can get away with killing his brother's son. "

"Is this why Jane is able to get away with the things she does?" Daddy asked him.

"Yes. Aro claimed her as his personal guard so she is untouchable, even though sometimes Caius has threatened to rip her apart. As much as Aro wanted his little experiment to work, he does not want it at the expense of Marcus taking over his guard. That is why I'm here. I am here to ask you to protect this child until his father comes for him. You are the only ones strong enough to protect him for Aro and the only ones who would care enough to try."

"What makes you so sure his father will come for him? It doesn't seem to me like he cares much about his son." I could hear the anger in her voice as aunt Rosalie said this.

"The connection this child has to his father is already awakening Marcus after only a week. Marcus has been in his frozen indifferent stupor for centuries. He just needs some time." He paused to look at Duilio, then he turned back to her. "I have known Marcus for a very long time. He will come for his son and I owe him the opportunity to have his son back."

"Come for his son or come for us? How do we know that this isn't Aro's plan all along?" She continued still furious.

"Your mind reader knows I speak the truth and if you are worried that I will go back to Volterra to tell Aro then let me assure you I will not be going back. I cannot return to Volterra after betraying Aro's wishes. I much rather die at your hands than Aro's.

"You want us to kill you." Jacob asked incredulously.

"Yes. I know you have no reason to trust me but even if Marcus chooses to pardon my treason, I know Aro will find a way to destroy me."

"And us." Uncle Jasper said in a hiss.

"I know that you are concerned that Aro will take this as an opportunity to destroy you but I figure that with your Renesmee's ability to show the truth, any lies that Aro can produce will be null. He will not be able to blame you when she can so easily show the truth. " Grandpa stood up then.

"We'll discuss this more later. You are a guest and a friend today. You are safe here. Why don't we get the little one fed?" Grandpa said to grandma. Then he looked at me and smiled reassuringly. This was the day I got a little brother, even if it was for a short time.

Duilio was happy being a part of our family and within a month he no longer cared that his father had rejected him. He was angry and hurt at first but then he accepted us as his family and we all loved him as our own. Duilio grew every day. He was really affectionate towards me. For the first few nights, he would hop out of his crib and sneak into my bed. Momma finally decided to just let him sleep in my bed. We were literally inseparable. Daddy said that Duilio was gifted. He could see souls and emotions in a range of colors. According to daddy, his favorite was mine. Duilio thought my soul was pretty and when it connected to his it seemed to glow, like we were meant to be together. Daddy could see it through his mind and he said that the glow we shared was very similar to the bonds I shared with the family. It was strong, bright but the strongest and brightest string was the one I shared with Jacob, momma and himself.

Duilio and I would go hunt in the forest every day for hours. He was getting used to animal blood but still preferred the donated blood grandpa brought him from work. Every day after home school we would hunt and try to think of something fun we could do. Everything we did was simple and innocent; reading, racing, chasing animals in the forest. Things began to change around the last few weeks he was with us. He was old enough to get into trouble, which made every day with Duilio was like an adventure. One night we put pebbles in the lasagna mom made for uncle Seth. Another day, we painted Billy's wheelchair cherry red with hotrod flames on the sides, we rearranged all of the furniture in grandpa Charlie's living room and kitchen (including the dishes) so that it was it the exact opposite of its normal location (like a mirror image), and we painted Sam's house in rainbow colors. I wouldn't let him play jokes on Jacob and he said he would never play jokes on Leah, but everyone else was fair game.

One morning, we both laid on the grass at my parent's meadow with Brady and Jake. Duilio took my hand and squeezed it. This was our code for 'I have an idea'.

"I want to go home." He announced.

"Me too. I think I want to read today." I followed his lead.

"Its ok. Our break was over a while ago so we have to keep patrolling. I'll stop by afterward to check on you guys." Jacob said. We all ran home and our new plan took place.

The entire family was gone except for Alice and Jasper. My parents were and grandparents were hunting out of state and aunt Rose and uncle Emmett were 'out'. I was a bit scared of our new plan. It was dangerous and I knew our lives would be at stake. We were very careful not to disturb our babysitters and we got our supplies. Once it was done we buried our loot and headed back to the house to play videogames and finish our homework.

Everyone returned in the evening and we all sat outside so that daddy could barbecue dinner for some of Jacob's pack. Daddy kept staring at us. He knew we were hiding something. Aunt Rose finally went to the garage to work on her latest project. That's when we heard the scream.

"Duilio Marco de Volturi and Renesmee Carlie Cullen you are in soo much trouble!" She materialized on the porch so quickly that we barely had time to hide behind Jake and Leah. Jacob chuckled.

"What'd they do this time?" She handed him the pictures of her tools. One picture for each tool, which had been placed carefully in her tool box in the exact same position where the actual tools would have been. The pictures were accompanied by a ransom note demanding that Duilio and Renesmee would be taken to Disney or otherwise the tools would 'get it'. This not had a picture of her tools in a hole in the ground each painted with a little sad face. There were 119 tools and a 120 pictures total. Everyone passed the pictures around as they laughed. Even daddy was trying to hold back his amusement.

"I really don't find this funny. Edward! Say something to your children!" She demanded.

"At least it wasn't the actual cars, aunt Rosie. Though I might save that one for another time." Duilio told her with an impish grin on his little face.

"You have ruined my niece and now you are threatening my cars! That's it!" She tried to grab him but he bolted, weaving through the laughing bodies to find grandma Esme. Everyone became silent when we heard a wolf howl in the distance. Jacob, Leah, Seth and Quill phased almost instantly but stayed within the yard.

"It's the Volturi. Marcus is with them with 2 other guards. Tell them to let them through Jake." Daddy said. A few moments later the three cloaked men appeared at the edge of the yard, guided by one of the wolves. I recognized Marcus immediately, Demetri was to his right and Alec to his left.

"I am here for my son. Give him to me and I will consider sparing some of you." He said. Jacob growled but grandpa Carlisle stopped him.

"We did not take your son. He is not a prisoner here, he is a guest." He told him.

"Then why… Where is Felix?!" He demanded.

"If you would allow Renesmee to show you, perhaps all would be clear." I shyly approached my grandfather and he picked me up into his arms protectively. I could see the intense look he was giving Marcus. I had never seen my grandfather look threatening. Marcus approached me at a human pace and extended his hand. I took it and showed him the night Felix came. I showed him how we took care of Duilio, how we loved him, how we didn't want him to go. He looked at my grandfather and at the rest of my family until his eyes met with Duilio. I could see something change in his eyes. It was only for a moment but it was as if he forgot his cold calm mask. I could see the regret and longing in his eyes.

"Father?"

"I know you have developed bonds with these people but it is time to come home, where you belong."

"He belongs just fine here." Momma said in a hiss. Marcus's expression tuned deadly and Duilio stepped in front of her.

"No! I will go with you if you promise not to hurt them."

"No!" I began to cry into my grandfather's neck. I knew at that moment that I would never see my little brother again. Daddy came towards me and took me from grandpa. I could feel him and momma rubbing my back to comfort me. Momma's face looked heartbroken and, even though her tears were absent, I knew she was crying too.

"He's happy here Marcus. He has a home here, a family. Please." Daddy begged him.

"He is MY son. I AM his true family." Duilio walked over to his father. He reached him and took his hand. I cried louder.

"Don't cry Nessie. I will see you again. You'll always be my big sister." I heard him say. Daddy put me on the ground so that I could say goodbye. Marcus looked at me. His face had returned to the mask it was before.

"I can see how much you care for him. I am very grateful for that." He told me in a soft diplomatic tone.

"Will I see him again?" I asked him.

"Eternity has a way of opening every possibility. I am certain that you will meet again." He looked straight at my parents and nodded once in reassurance.

"Duilio is always welcome here. He's family." Daddy told him, he had a grave look on his face and for a moment I could see a fleck of anger in his eyes. Duilio walked towards me and hugged me. He was smaller than me, looking closer to Claire's age. I let him go and he turned to his father.

"May I say goodbye to everyone?" Marcus nodded once and Duilio said his goodbye's to the family. When he got to my parents momma took him in her arms to hug him. She kissed his cheeks and told him she loved him.

"I love you too mom. You too dad." He told my father. Daddy walked over to him and touched his face. He kissed his forehead and told him he loved him. Momma put him down. He came over to me and took my hand. He put a small bracelet in it. Jacob and Quill had taught us, and Claire, how to make Quileute bracelets. His was green and black with strings of yellow accents and mine was pink and purple with dark pink accent. They weren't as intricate as the one Jacob gave me on my first Christmas but we were very proud of them. I took mine off and put it in his hand. I didn't need my gift to show him how much he meant to me so instead I told him with my mind. "_I'll miss you little brother."_ Then I kissed his head, like my parents had done. He looked at me sadly. He was still too young to realize that with our family's histories, we would probably never see each other.

"Let us leave." Marcus said. He gestured for Duilio to follow him but, before he lead them away, he looked at my father. "Felix?"

"His wishes were met. We tried to dissuade him but it was what he wanted." Daddy told him.

"Goodbye then." Then they were gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

I saw Anna sitting on the front steps of the school talking to a girl I didn't know. The girl looked younger than Anna, closer to my alleged age. Anna was only 16 but she looked a bit older and sophisticated. Anna was a 10th grader and I was coming in as a freshmen. I wondered if it bothered her to have to talk to me. Jacob parked the car in front of the school and waved at Anna from his seat.

"Don't worry too much Loch Ness. You'll break out in pimples and those suckers will really stand out with your pale complexion." He poked my cheek, making it tingle slightly, and then he gave me his playful smile.

"Sure, sure. I bet that's exactly what you want Black. That way nobody will date me and I'll be stuck with you for-EVER." I gave in a mocking look of distaste as I opened the car door. He chuckled and took my hand in his.

"You'll do great. Love ya' kiddo." He said in a more serious tone and then he gave me his loving smile. The smile that shines brighter than the brightest sun- the smile that causes pressure and warmth in the center of my chest. I showed him a picture of his smile and I projected '_I love you too_' as I turned from him. I left the car and closed the door behind me before he could respond.

Anna stood and smiled awkwardly at me as I approached her. Her friend looked at my smiling invitingly, her eyes full of curiosity. I tried to regain my control as I stepped closer to them but I was certain that my heart was beating faster.

"Hi Nessie." Anna began, "This is my friend Carol. We're in the same grade. Carol, this is my friend Nessie. She just moved here." I extended my hand to her in greeting. She took it and smiled.

"Nice to meet you Carol."

"Nice to finally meet you too. Anna had told us a little bit about you. You definitely are not what I expected."

"Oh." I shrugged my shoulders awkwardly. I pulled my new Chanel bag a little closer, trying to hide it. I assumed she meant I dressed differently. I couldn't believe I didn't think about that before. Did these kids wear designer? Anna must have seen my discomfort.

"She just meant that she assumed you were Quileute too." Anna corrected. "Even though I told here you were the chief's niece." She continued, annoyed at her friend.

"You also said she spoke Quileute fluently which is why I got confused. Either way, welcome." She smiled kindly.

"Well let's go get your schedule and I'll give you the tour." Anna directed us towards the door.

The tour was uneventful. I stopped listening after a while, choosing to direct my focus on the architecture, displays, and writings on the walls. It definitely wasn't as glamorous as the high schools on television but it would do. Anna and Carol stopped in front of the first door they showed me. Homeroom.

"We're a grade ahead of you so we have a different homeroom. Ms. Clearwater is already in there with a few other students so you'll be ok right? Or do you want us to wait with you?" I mentally rolled my eyes at her. I could hear the hesitation in her second question. She was hoping I declined her offer.

"I'll be fine Anna. Thank you both for showing me around. I'll see you girls later." I waved at them quickly and headed inside. I took a seat at the front of the class as far away as possible from the curious eyes in the back. Leah eyed me curiously as I opened my book and took out my materials.

"You are supposed to introduce yourself and present your teachers with token. An apple or some other type of fruit should suffice." She smiled mockingly.

"Hmm. So does this mean you'll spank me with a ruler?" I said too low for the other students to hear. Leah busted out laughing as I continued at a human volume.

"I apologize for my oversight Ms. Clearwater. I'll be sure to bring something for you tomorrow."

"Naw, it's only a first day of school tradition. Maybe next year." She smirked and the other students began to enter the class. The bell rang a few moments later and the remaining students rushed in to take a seat.

Every student that entered paused to look at me. As soon as they took a seat they conferred to their friends in hushed tones thinking I wouldn't be able to hear_. Who's the new girl? She's hot! Did you see what she is wearing? Do you think they are real or fake? Why do you think she is here? Is she seeing anyone?_ On and on the questions continued until Leah finally hushed them and introduced me to the class. She introduced herself and continued with her usual class. I took notes but I didn't really need to. I doodled wolves on my notebook until the end of class. Every class was the same, surprised looks, followed my questions followed my introductions and then class. It was all very monotonous.

At lunch time, I went to the cafeteria to look for Anna and Carol. As soon as I entered the cafeteria the loud sounds that could be heard down the hallways became hushed. I quickly saw that almost everyone was staring at me so I panicked. I whipped out my phone from my back pocket and looked at it in pretend surprise then I looked at my watch as if I just realized I was late for something and I walked back out the door. My face felt warm as I walked down the hall to find the library. 'Was I blushing?' Thankfully the door was open so I entered and waited until my next period.

This was my routine for three days. Finally, on the third day I noted that my novelty was finally dissipating but I still did not dare to enter the dreaded cafeteria. Before lunch, I made sure I was the last to leave class so that I could go into the library without stumbling into anyone; however, I didn't take into account that there might be someone waiting for me at the library door.

Anna leaned against the doorframe waiting. Here brows were slightly furrowed as if she were thinking about something. She heard me approach and looked at me with a worried smile.

"Hi Anna." I said nonchalantly. She nodded once, pressing her lips lightly.

"Nessie, why don't you like me?"

"What?!" I asked completely taken aback by her question.

"I mean, you are avoiding me right?"

"I guess that's what it looks like, huh? I'm not I promise." I smiled at her.

"I then why haven't you come to lunch with us. I mean, I'm used to you and Leah ignoring me but I thought that was the whole point of you coming here was to be around humans. Everyone has been wondering where you've been. When you kept avoiding us I thought maybe it was me." I saw the sad look on her face and I almost teared up.

"I always thought it was the other way around." I told her. "You are always so quiet when I am around you and when you do say something its usually directed at someone else. You rarely ever talk to me." I said quietly. "I do like you. I was actually hoping that you and I could finally become friends now that we are both in school. It's just that when I entered the cafeteria the first time and everyone stared I …" I took her hand and I showed her instead.

"Pretty silly, huh?" I rolled my eyes myself as I asked her.

"Yea, but it's also pretty human. I'm glad that even a flawless vampire can feel insecure sometimes." She smiled and pulled me towards the cafeteria by my hand, which she was still holding.

"Now let try it together this time. I'll give the 'Leah glare' to anyone who stares. I've been practicing." She said proudly. We both giggled as we entered the cafeteria. Most people paused to watch us come in but it wasn't nearly as bad as the first time. Anna pulled me towards the line and handed me a tray.

"Cafeteria food is part of the high school charm." She explained. She continued in a low voice. "I told everyone you've been taken placement tests, you know, so they can determine what classes to put you in." I smiled at her explanation.

"Thank you, Anna. That was a great idea. Definitely sounds better than she's been hiding out in library." We got our 'food' and sat at table with two younger wolves, Mica and Andrew, as well as, some other students and Carol. I recognized one girl from my English class, Lisa, so I waved at her from across the table as I sat down.

"Nessie, these are Abby, Danny and I think you know Lisa already. You know Mica, Andrew and Carol so guys this is Nessie."

"Hi." I waved shyly at the group feeling completely awkward. Mica smiled kindly and Andrew glared at me. They were both in Sam's pack so I never really got to interact with them. I didn't need to be a mind reader to know Andrew didn't want me in his school. Andrew shoved his chair back and stood.

"I should go to practice." He gathered his trash and walked away. Anna looked surprised as he left.

"So Nessie, where are your parents. Mica said you are staying with Sue and chief Swan." Carol asked before she took a sip from her milk box.

"Yes. My parents are traveling. My dad is an international agricultural researcher. I was homeschooled all my life so when uncle Charlie offered to take me in so that I can finally go to high school like a normal kid I just jumped to it." I grinned as I told my rehearsed story.

"So have you lived in other countries?" Abby asked intrigued. I nodded.

"I've lived in South America mainly. Brazil, Chile, Argentina. I love it down there." I lied. I had visited those countries briefly over the past few years but most of my knowledge of them came from geography class with daddy and uncle Jasper.

"So do you know Spanish or Portuguese?" Danny asked me. He had been staring at me the entire time. I had a feeling he was developing a crush on me.

"Both. I had to." I told him.

"So how do you know Quileute? This is the first time you live here right?"

"Yes it is." I told him. "I know Quileute because of Jacob Black. His family and my family are good friends. I've always loved languages and he thought it was cute that I could already speak 3 languages fluently when I was four so he taught me a few words in Quileute. I loved the language so I made him teach me more and more every time I saw him and every time he called to say hi. He also got me books and stuff for me to learn from."

"Wow! That was nice of him." Carol said, "Its not usual for outsiders to know our language and, ouch! Hey!" She rubbed her leg where I assumed Lisa had kicked her. Lisa was a bit older and I could tell she was more mature than the rest of the group.

"What my cousin means," she clarified while narrowing her eyes at her cousin, "is that its nice that you took an interest in Quileute since not many people _outside the reservation_ do." Lisa emphasized the part she wanted to correct and Carol's face blushed when she realized what she had said.

"Yea, that's what I meant." She said shyly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."

"Its ok." I told her and gave a sympathetic smile. "Lisa is right. Its very rare for someone like me to know the language. I was just lucky that Jacob was impressed I could learn languages so easily."

We continued talking about my fake adventures down south until the bell rang. The rest of the day was interesting. In one day I had going from always being alone to always having a friend at my side. Someone in the group, except for Andrew, would talk to me in between classes and would sit by me in each class. Carol even passed notes at me during geometry to tell me that a boy named Zack was giving me the eye. After school, Anna and I got our things from our lockers and she walked with me to grandpa Charlie's car. The rest of the week followed the same pattern. I was never alone again and I loved it!

Later that week, momma crossed her arms and glared at aunt Alice angrily through the mirror. Jacob sat on the corner staring at us. I could tell he was trying not to laugh at us, specifically momma.

"Come on Bells, you look nice."

"It's my daughter's birthday. Why do I have to look nice? Why can't I just look like myself?"

"Stop complaining or I'll make you wear an up-do and that will take even longer." Aunt Alice threatened. She pouted and scooted down on her chair. Jacob actually laughed out loud and I chucked at her too.

"Why can't you be more like Nessie? Look how great her hair looks so far and in a few more minutes she'll be perfect." Aunt Rose said as she put the final touches on my hair.

"She's already perfect." Jacob corrected her. She rolled her eyes as he winked at me. I was excited about the party. Both packs were coming along with all the imprints. My birthdays were always big parties since momma made aunt Alice celebrate my birthday once a year instead of every time I looked different. The compromise was that we would have a huge party every year. This was the first year that I would get a more adult theme since I looked more like a teenager than a child now.

"Done! Honey you look so beautiful!" Rosalie commented, then she turned to Jacob. "Alright dog. I said you could stay for the hair but now we're doing makeup and clothes so you can go home and get dressed."

"Sure, sure I'm going." He came over to me and kissed my forehead in a very platonic way. I felt my heart sink a little. 'Will he ever see me differently?' I thought sadly.

"Goodbye ladies. You're both looking great! Make sure you get Bella's frown lines, Alice. She needs all the help she can get!"

"Shut up Jake!" She flung a brush at him but he was already gone.

The Denali arrived first. The entire clan of cousins were present including Tanya's new mate, Nahuel. Nahuel and his aunt stayed with us for a few months after the Volturi left. They were trying to learn more about our lifestyle but Sam was concerned about the towns' safety so we went up to Alaska to visit our extended family. Their connection was almost instant. Nahuel was everything a succubus like Tanya ever wanted, the warmth of humanity but the durability of a vampire. Tanya gave him the opportunity to stop being a monster. Nahuel and Hulien left their old life and never looked back. Their addition brought a new light into the family and helped heal the loss of their sister. Of course, I was happy the Nahuel was officially part of my family. He was like another uncle and he was always there for me. 'We are a unique breed my dear. No one will ever know what this life is like which is why we must always take care of each other.' He told me once. We've been family ever since.

The wolves and their imprints arrived in twos and threes until the entire house was full. Aunt Alice set up a dance floor and several sitting areas for the older guests and a gaming area for the younger ones. Grandma, daddy and momma had set up a banquet style buffet of food for all of the guests and Alice ordered a large 5-tier cake. The living room looked like a dance club scene with pink, purple, and blue lighting. I loved it. There was only one thing missing, Jacob. He said he was on his way but most of my guests there and he was still missing.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" Grandpa Charlie sat next to me with a beer. Grandma Sue was talking to Leah and uncle Seth about his college classes. He was in the pre-med program at Stanford, thanks to grandpa Carlisle. We were all very proud when he got accepted.

"Nothing. I was just wondering where Jake was. It's not like him to be this late." I told him. Daddy looked at me and smiled. It made me wonder if he knew where Jacob was. He shrugged, which made me suspicious.

"He'll be here. That boy is attached to you like glue." He commented. I could tell that he was still a bit disturbed by Jacob's closeness to me. Grandpa didn't understand our relationship. I don't blame him. Sometimes, I didn't understand it either.

"Hey Nessie. Someone is waiting for you outside." Uncle Emmett told me. I excused myself and nearly ran to the door. As soon as I walked outside, I started laughing. Jacob was standing with his arms crossed next to a motorcycle that had a huge pink bow on top. He gave me a strange look when we first made eye contact but I was too excited to realize what it was. I ran into his arms at super speed to hug him.

'Grandpa is going to kill you!' I told him with my gift then I kissed his cheek and whispered 'Thank you,' so softly that only he could hear it.

"A bike! Edward! You let him get my granddaughter a bike!" Grandpa Charlie said angrily when he saw my new bike.

"It's ok Charlie. She can handle a bike. Trust me." Daddy told him. Grandpa grunted and went back inside the house.

"You're only allowed to use it when you have me or your parents around to ride with you. That's the condition." Jacob told me. I nodded in agreement and examined my new bike.

"That's not fair. She doesn't even have a license yet does she?" One of the younger wolves asked.

"No, Stephen." Momma told him, "That's why she needs to ride with one of us." I hoped on my bike and turned on the ignition. I accelerated and rode the bike around the front yard then I parked it back where Jacob left it.

"That's my girl. You're a natural." He said proudly and he took my hand to help me off the bike. Almost everyone had walked back inside.

"Yea well. I've picked up a thing or two over the years. I am exceptionally smart, you know." I teased him.

"Sure, sure. If you are so smart then why couldn't you figure out what I was getting you?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, feigning annoyance. I was about to come back with some smart retort but then his face changed. Something in his expression stopped me.

"You look really beautiful Ness." He said suddenly and out of context, effectively throwing me off. I looked down at my dress. I shrugged.

"It's the dress. Aunt Alice made a good choice." He took my hand shaking his head at my observation.

"No. Its not the dress although its also very pretty." He smiled at me at me but the smile didn't reach his eyes. There was almost sadness there. We walked into the party, hand in hand, and joined everyone in the festivities. I danced with my father, grandfather and all of my uncles. Some of the wolves also asked me to dance but I mostly danced with the girls. I was dancing with Anna when Carol and Lisa showed up. They were the only two non-imprinted humans at the party. Aunt Alice insisted that Carol and I would be lifelong friends so she had Anna and I invite them. It was only a week after school started so I am sure it was a bit strange for them to be invited to my birthday party. I greeted them and introduced them to my family to make them feel welcome. Then Anna grabbed both of them by the hand and immediately ushered them to the dance floor. I rolled my eyes and followed. It only took a moment for it to happen. One moment the girls and I were dancing and the next Carol looked into Steven's eyes and they were imprinted. He was an eighth grader so he had not seen her since he phased.

"Oh shit! Here we go again." Leah said from the corner where she was drinking a beer with Rachel and Paul. Steven gawked at Carol like she was the brightest star in a sea of darkness. Sam put his arm around him.

"Come on pup. Let's take a walk." He told him as he dragged him outside.

"Who was that?" Carol asked me.

"The older one is Sam and the younger one is Steven. He's an eighth grader."

"Wow. He definitely doesn't look like an eighth grader." She said blushing. I smiled and pretended to be oblivious to what just happened. The party finally died down and people started to leave. I still hadn't danced with Jacob. He spent the entire night eating, drinking and talking to the other wolves. I would catch him glancing at me. He would smile at me every time, unabashed. He wasn't watching me with a jealous look or even a concerned look. Instead, he was happy for me. He was giving me space to enjoy my friends. The problem was that the only person I wanted around me was him. After I said goodbye to my human friends, I sat by uncle Seth who was playing video games with Mica.

"Hey sweetie, wanna play?" He asked me.

"No. I'm fine here." I saw Paul and Rachel walk up the dance floor for a slow dance. Kim and Jared followed after them. Jacob finally walked up to me and extended his hand.

"I think its my turn to dance with the birthday girl." He told me. 'Finally!' I thought and I took his hand.

We walked to the dance floor and started dancing with the other couples. I got close to him and put my ear to his chest. I could hear his heart beat and I closed my eyes to listen to its gentle hum. I felt his lips on my hair. I had hoped that this night, this dress, this hair would somehow awaken something different in him but it didn't. His kisses, his touches were platonic and my heart was despair, sending my emotions into haywire.

It was at that moment that I made a mistake. It all took one second. I opened my eyes and I saw Jared kiss Kim's forehead. It was such a familiar action, so similar to the thousands of kisses Jake had given me, yet it was also completely different. I saw how different the love they shared was from mine and I wanted what they had more than anything else I have ever wanted. The emotion that came over me took me completely by surprise and for one miniscule moment a lost control of my gift. As soon as the image of Jacob and I sharing a kiss like theirs came into my mind, the image projected out of me into Jacob. I felt his entire body tense in surprise. I let go of him, feeling the horror stain my cheeks. I gulped down the bile starting to rise in my throat and I left the house. I didn't look at him. Not once.

I went out to the porch. I sat on one of the steps trying to calm my nerves and to cool the warmth on my cheeks. Jacob sat next to me and waited. After a few minutes he sighed.

"Anything we need to talk about?" He asked solemnly.

"Nope." I popped my 'p' for emphasis. He sighed again and waited again.

"I'm sorry Jake. I looked at all the couples around me and I just wondered when it would be my turn. I didn't really mean anything by it." I lied. Jacob nodded. I wasn't sure if he believed me. He looked uncertain. I swallowed down my guilt and took his hand in mine. I needed to put on a brave face.

"I did just turn into a teenager, Jake. Its just hormones so relax. When your best friend is gorgeous, things are bound to get a bit murky. Give me another week or two and I am sure I will be back to my old self." I patted his hand and gave him a sympathetic but teasing smile. He laughed, relieved. He bought it and it made my heart break.

"Ah the teenage years. I'll be sure to warn your dad about it, though I am sure your mom won't mind if you start dating." I wanted to ask if he minded but in that moment I had never been so afraid of anyone in my life. I saw how relieved he looked and how light hearted he talked about me dating someone else. Why did he have to be so damn relieved? He hated the idea of us so much that he wanted me to date other people. I felt the familiar pang of hurt in my chest. His indifference stabbed me like daggers. I realized that no one on this planet would ever be able to hurt me as this man could. So I didn't ask him if he minded that I dated, because I knew his answer would cut me like knives and I didn't want to hear it.

"Come on old man. Let's go kick uncle Seth's butt at Halo." I said getting up. We walked back into the house leaving the piece of my heart, crumbled on the porch step behind me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

Purgatory. I was stuck in purgatory. The monotony of every class was mind numbingly dull. Daddy laughed a bit when I told him but as least he didn't say 'I told you so'. I knew all the material and the repetitiveness was driving me mad. My only salvation were my friends. Everyone had been welcoming and kind to me. I even got to spend some time having secret conversations with Leah during homeroom by talking below the human hearing. It was a simple life but social aspect was better than I had ever dreamed of. It was getting easier to act like a teenager, especially after I realized that I was one. I was even able to make some friends outside of Anna's group. It was silly for me to be afraid to begin with most of the students at school were nice but, like any school, there were kids that believed it was their mission to make others miserable. This is how I made so many new friends. I refused to tolerate bullying and no one dared to bully me. Almost no one. Andrew was very resistant and distrustful. Every day he would watch me almost angrily. I tried not to be hurt by his demeanor but it could not be helped. The whole situation unraveled the day I met Daisy.

Anna, Carol and I stayed a little late after school to start planning for homecoming. I could hear them laughing followed by a loud yelp.

"Did you hear that?" I asked Anna and Carol.

"Hear what?" Carol asked unknowing. Steven still hadn't told her about the imprint so I couldn't risk her knowing I wasn't human.

"I'll be right back." I told her giving Anna a meaningful look so that she wouldn't follow me. I headed around the corner towards the back of the school, where the dumpsters were. The scene that faced me was horrible. Two boys, both a grade younger than me, gathered around a small helpless figure. Their backs to me they laughed at the poor creature's pain. I don't know what came over me but, when I saw one of the boys lift his leg to kick the poor being, I ran forward at inhuman speed and tacked him. I hissed at him as I pinned him to the ground by the shoulders. The other boy had not seen where I came from but when I saw I had his friend pinned down he ran.

"What the hell, Bitch! Get off me!" The boy struggled against me.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" I barely got the words out before I felt someone grab my arm to pull me away from the boy. I felt his strong arms push me back toward the dumpster and he pinned my there, holding both of my arms tightly against the cold metal. Andrew looked at me almost growling. I glared back equally fierce.

"Andrew! Get your hands off her right now! She wasn't going to hurt anyone!" I heard Anna say. Leah was with her. She was holding the two human boys angrily, her body was shaking a bit. The two boys stared at us shocked. I looked at them and they each took a step back as if they were afraid. I turned my gaze back to Andrew.

"Back off!" I hissed, so threateningly that I barely recognize my own voice. He stepped back a bit, surprised, and turned to the boys. Carol had finally arrived as Leah let go of the boys.

"Carol, Anna, why don't you escort these two to the principal's office and tell her what they've been up to. I'll be there in a minute." Leah told her then she turned to the two boys. "If you even think about running off again I will make what you did to this dog seems like mercy. Got it!" Both boys looked both shocked and scared at her. They followed Carol and Anna into the building quietly.

"Nessie, you ok?" She asked me worried.

"I'm fine Leah. Just make sure they pay for this."

"Oh don't worry about that. Principal Harris is going to crucify them. She has three dogs. Call your dad and see if he can do anything to help it. I'll stop by the house a little later." She turned and gave Andrew an angry look.

"We'll talk later." She told him and then she went inside the building.

I walked around Andrew to the whimpering dog on the ground. It growled a little as I approached it but then it whimpered as it tried to move away from me. The dog was medium sized and terribly underweight. It looked like it was a golden retriever but it was loosing most of its fur due to mange. I examined it for a moment before I held out my phone and called my father.

"Daddy. I need your medical expertise and maybe grandpa Carlisle's too. Its..."

"Renesmee, what happed? Are you hurt?!" He cut me off anxiously. "Where's Leah?"

"I'm not hurt daddy. But I found a dog that is. I figure since you've been learning about canine veterinary medicine you might be able to help it. Please daddy." He sighed relieved.

"Of course, love. Tell your grandfather to bring you strait here. Carlisle and I will be ready." I took off my coat and I put it around the dog to pick it up. Anna came back outside.

"The principal is threatening to expel them." She told us. I nodded as I cradled the dog in my arms. It whimpered and I shushed it soothingly.

"You're sure going through a lot of trouble for something you'll just end up eating it anyway." Andrew said.

"Gosh Andrew, shut up! You are such a jerk!" Anna told him angrily.

"Its ok Anna." I told her and then turned to Andrew, "I get it. I'm a monster. Those boys beat a defenseless creature nearly to death. They lavished and rejoiced at its pain and suffering but I am the monster and I always will be." I picked up the dog and turned to him again.

"I wasn't going to hurt that boy today. Even when I lost control I never intended to hurt that boy because that's not who I am. I don't purposely hurt living beings or enjoy suffering. I do what I need to survive."

He rolled his eyes. I shook my head angrily trying to stay calm.

"You think you are so much better than me but frankly I don't see you object when Paul and Sam go hunting and bring back venison to barbecue. Hunting is still killing. I can't change who I am Andrew but I am much better than what you think of me. If you would actually take the time to get to know me you might actually see that we're not that different."

"I'm nothing like you." He hissed. I shook my head.

"We were both born supernatural! We were both born with monsters that we try to control every day. I know that you want to blame me and my family for that but the fact of the matter is that vampires or no vampires, you are still a wolf. You were born a wolf and I was born a vampire and that's never going to change so get over it or stay the hell out of my way." I walked away from him to the parking lot were grandpa had been waiting for me.

"Nessie what is that thing." Grandpa asked as I entered the car.

"Its a dog grandpa. She's hurt but daddy is going to try to save her. He's waiting for us at home." He smiled at me but I could tell he was confused. The dog whimpered again and as I petted it.

"Ok sweetheart."

When we arrived, daddy and grandpa Carlisle were ready. They had been studying veterinary medicine in case the wolves got hurt and needed medical attention in their wolf form. I could see daddy's brows furrow angrily as he read my mind.

"Put her on the table sweetie." I did as he asked and they began to work. The dog whimpered, growled and barked throughout the entire examination. They gave her a some pain killers and medicinal bath to take care of the mange and wounds, then they casted her broken leg. I could see the scared look in her eyes. She didn't trust us. Grandpa Carlisle put some blankets on the floor, next to a bowl of water and cold cuts, then daddy set her on the blankets. Grandpa walked up to me and put his arms around me as we all walked to the living room.

"She'll be alright. Now what do you want to name her?" He asked me smiling. I bit my lip unsure. Her bits of golden fur reminded me of a yellow daisy. Daisy?

"Daisy is a beautiful name." Daddy told me as momma and aunt Rose came into the room.

"Personally, I think we have too many dogs around here." Aunt Rose said. Momma shook her head and smiled at me.

"Well I think she's cute." She smiled at me again but this time it was a sympathetic smile. I knew what they were waiting for, so I told them what happened. Grandma walked in as I was telling them the story. She also looked upset by what happened.

"Those boys have done a terrible thing. I hope they get counseling. That is not normal behavior." Grandma said. As if on cue, Jacob and Leah walked into the house.

"Nessie." He called. I ran at inhuman speed and collapsed into his arms. Everything felt right again the moment we made contact. I hadn't even realized how upset I was until that moment. I looked up to see his face and he gave me a kiss on the tip of my nose. I giggled. It was the first time I smiled since the event. The family were already in the living room area talking to Leah.

"What will happen to the boys?" Grandma asked her. As Jacob and I walked towards them.

"A week of in school suspension, followed by community service at the school, and they have to go to counseling for an evaluation. Oh hey, Nessie. How'ya doing kid? Puppy's ok?"

"Yea. Daddy and grandpa took care of her. I'm sorry for making a scene I just got so angry. I don't know what came over me." I said remorsefully.

"Don't sweat it too much. No one saw." She said.

"She still needs to be more careful, Leah. I know these were extenuating circumstances, baby, but you cannot expose yourself to anyone."

"I know momma. I promise this was an aberrance. I don't plan to ever let it happen again. I'm just relieved that no one saw running that fast." She nodded.

"Jacob, I would also like you to talk to Andrew." Daddy told him. I figured he had read what happened with him.

"Daddy its ok. I took care of it."

"No its not. If Andrew doesn't like you then that is his loss but I will not have him manhandle you in that way."

"What?! Manhandle?! What the hell did that boy do?" He was shaking lightly.

"Nothing! Jake please, just leave it alone. I handled it. Besides he's just a pup. He just needs time." I squeezed his hand and smiled but I knew that he was going to yell at Andrew regardless.

"So what are you guys going to do with the dog?" Leah asked as she sipped her coffee.

"Well, I guess that's up to Renesmee." Daddy said.

Everyone looked at me. My heart compressed at that moment and I felt my stomach go in knots. I knew it was not a good idea to keep the dog but the thought of giving her away was heartbreaking. It just didn't seem fair that I had to give away a dog after taking care of her. Especially, after having to give up a little brother so recently.

"Emmett and Jasper won't like it but if you really want to keep her you can." Daddy said after reading the turmoil in my mind. It wasn't in Daisy's best interest to stay with us but I felt my heart swell with hope regardless.

"We'll see."

Anna, Brady and Mica came almost every day to visit Daisy. Daisy was very scared and distrustful of me and my family. I hated that she cowered every time any of us approached her. She only allowed the wolves to get near her. After almost a month, she was finally able to move around without the cast; however, she still would need a lot of treatment for mange. She loved Jacob. Daddy thought it was because she could recognize he was an alpha.

* * *

Exactly 3 weeks after her arrival, Jacob and I sat on the cold ground outside the cottage. Daisy was happily pulling on her rope as Jacob pulled against her. I laughed when he put the other end of the rope in his mouth and got on all fours in his human form. I was so busy laughing that I almost didn't hear the footsteps behind me.

"Hi." Andrew said quietly. He took a deep breath and he sat on the ground next to me. Jacob and Daisy had stopped playing. I was not comfortable with the situation. Jacob stood up, looked at Andrew and nodded.

"I'm gonna get something to eat." He announced. He gave Andrew a warning look and he headed inside. Daisy just sat on her spot staring at Andrew and myself.

"She's looking good." Andrew started. He looked uncomfortable too. He shifted his body as if he were trying to get comfortable but that wasn't going to help.

"Yea. She is coming along nicely." I said. For some reason my voice wasn't right. It held some emotion that I couldn't pin point. It was that moment that Daisy walked up to me. She laid on the ground next to me and put her head right on my lap. I was too shocked to say anything. But after a moment, I felt the silent tears roll down my cheeks as I petted her.

"Wow are you ok?" Andrew stretched out his arm but Daisy growled at him in warning from my lap. He retreated his arm immediately.

"I'm sorry. This is the first time she let me pet her like this." I told him.

"Oh." He said awkwardly.

"I wish that things could be different. This whole school experience was supposed to help me learn to be normal but then all this happened and then you every day watching me, instigating." I took a deep breath to try to calm myself. Daisy took a deep breath with me and scooted a bit closer to me. "I know Jake or Sam made you come here. You don't have to be here if you don't want to. You don't have to apologize."

"Jacob was pretty pissed but neither of them _made_ me come here." Then he whispered. "I 'm sorry." I could tell that he really meant it. "I'm sorry about everything. I shouldn't have grabbed you that way and I should have giving you a chance from the beginning. Not just because you're an imprint but because you were right. We all have monsters inside of us but unlike the other wolves, you actually have been working on being controlled from the day you were born. I certainly can't say that. I nearly tore down my house the first week I phased." He stopped to smile at the memory.

"Thank you." I tried to sound sincere but my voice was still off.

"I know you're still thinking that Jake is making me say this but he's not. I mean he definitely threatened my life if I ever touched you again but I'm here because I thought about what you said and I really am sorry."

I nodded in understanding and I looked at him. He looked unsure. I held out my hand to him for a handshake and smiled.

"Friends? Or something?" He smiled and shook my hand.

"Friends." He proclaimed.

Jacob came out with a large sandwich which got Daisy's attention. Andrew stood and looked at Jacob.

"I think I'm gonna head back home. Thanks for letting me visit." He told us both before he left.

"Bye pup. I'll see you later tonight." Jacob said as he sat next to me. Daisy whined so Jacob gave her a piece of his sandwich but after she ate it she came back for more. Jake growled at her and she came back to my side to lay her head on my lap again.

"Looks like you have a new friend now. You ok." He nudged my shoulder.

"Yea, I think everything is going to be ok now." I told him.

"Yea well I still want to kick his ass for grabbing you like that. I swear Ness that if he ever does that again." He trembled lightly but he was still in control.

"Come on Jake. Relax." I told him as I put my arms around his waist and snuggled against his side. I loved being this close to him. I could hear his heart beating, smell his woodsy scent, and feel his perpetual warmth much better when we were this close. I tried to keep my heart beat steady but I knew that it would speed up soon from the proximity. Things between us were beginning to change, at least they were changing for me. I still felt comfortable around him but now our closeness would stir up feelings that had been absent before. In many ways these feelings tainted what we have but it also opened the doors to something new. Nevertheless, I knew that I was still too young for Jacob to accept me as a mate. It still didn't change how I felt.

"I hear homecoming is coming up soon." He changed the subject. "Any boys ask you out yet?" I tried to listen for any emotion in his voice but there wasn't any. He was genuinely curious.

"A few, but I was just planning on going with the girls." I told him uninterested. I had at least four boys ask me but the only person I wanted to go with could not take me.

"A pretty girl like you should have a date for the dance." He used a condescending voice which let me know he was teasing me. "You should go with Danny. He's a nice young man, I think I may like him."

"Yea, he's a good kid but I am not interested in dates right now."

"What kind of high school girl isn't interested in dating? Are you a nerd?" He asked me.

"Come on old man. Don't you know that nerd is the new cool?"

"Sure sure. You're just lucky you're pretty so you can pull it off."

"Are you saying that I wouldn't be a cool dork if I was ugly? How shallow of you Jacob. I'm very disappointed." I pinched his side. He immediately tackled me and started tickling me. Daisy began to get excited and started bouncing and barking around us. She was happy. Jake and I wrestled until I finally yelled mercy and he relented. He got up and held out his hand to me to help me to my feet.

"You know that I wish you could be there, right? It would be nice to dance with my best friend in my first dance." I told him trying my best to sound nonchalant and to calm the butterflies in my stomach.

"I know sweetie." He kissed the top of my head. "But you should still have fun and dance with your new friends and as long as those boys keep their hands to themselves, I won't have to kill anyone." He gave me his big Jacob smile and wiggled his brows. I laughed and pushed him back on the ground were we both laid until dinner. I knew it was impossible but I had still hoped that he would try to make it. Someday, I knew he would say yes so I would just have to keep on trying.

It was difficult to deal with my new feelings for Jacob. The worst part was they I didn't have anyone to talk to about it. I couldn't talk about it to my human friends because they could never understand or know about the imprint. I could talk to Anna but I was afraid she would tell Brady. I know from experience how hard it is to keep a secret from your imprint. I couldn't talk about it to my wolf friends because Jacob would find out through their wolf link, I certainly couldn't talk to anyone in my family because they would be upset, so I decided to write to the only person who knew exactly what Jacob meant to me.

_Duli,_

_I hope you are doing well in Volterra. I wish you could be here. I could really use a friend right now. School is still going well. Things have gotten a lot better between Andrew and me. He's even sitting with us during lunch. My new friends are all a lot of fun. Carol is very funny. She reminds me of aunt Alice in the way she talks and gets excited. Her cousin Lisa is great also. She is going to the homecoming dance with David which makes me feel better because I had to say no to him when he asked me. That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. I am starting to get conflicting emotions about Jacob. The part that upsets me is that I know he doesn't feel the same way about me. I wish you were here. I really don't have anyone to talk to about things like these. Plus, you are the only one who would be able to tell me if Jacob's feelings changed too. Sometimes it worries me that it may never change between us but strangely enough it also worries me if it does. I can't help it. I don't know what to do._

_How about you? How is your relationship with your father? I know that you can see that he loves you but you should let him know that its also important to show people that you love them. He's a very Very old vampire so give him time to get used to you. Just be sure to show him what you need. If you need a hug, you know where to find me._

_Always,_

_RC_

Duilio had told me about how different Volterra was. He had school, combat training, and additional courses in foreign language and politics. Marcus had gotten him the best teachers he could find, both human and vampire. Marcus provided him with everything he could possibly need but he hadn't hugged or interacted with him in the way a father would. Aro and Marcus's relationship was strained. Marcus was starting to take a more active role among the Volturi and he had re-claimed his old guard. He also started to re-train the guard in combat, something that Caius was very pleased with. They had even recruited 3 new members for the guard.

My family was concerned about this at first but there was nothing we could do about it. The Volturi were trying to regain their strength and now that they had their military leader, they would be unstoppable. Our only hope was that Marcus would see that we truly cared for his son and he would consider us as allies. Only time would tell.

Jacob dropped me off at school a bit earlier than usual because he had to get in early to work on a car at his garage. As soon as I walked in through the doors I saw Carol waiting by my locker. By the look in her eyes I could tell that something was wrong.

"Good morning, Carol. Everything ok?" I asked her.

"I need to talk to you in private." She said. I nodded and signaled her to the music room. No one would be going in there until third period. I closed the door and we both sat on floor in the corner behind the grand piano. I could hear her heart beating faster and faster and she thought about what she would say.

"You're a vampire." She said in a whisper. I nodded, realizing Steven had told her about the imprint.

"Yes. A half vampire half human hybrid if you want to be precise." She nodded. Her heart was beating even faster.

"And Steven, Mica, Andrew, and Ms. Clearwater, and Jacob they're all werewolves."

"Technically, they are shape shifters who turn into wolves but yes." She took a deep breath trying to calm herself.

"And I am Steven's soul mate."

"Yes. It's a bit more complex than that but wolves have the ability to recognize their soul mates without really knowing them. Then after they know them they tend to fall in love with them. At least that's my understanding of it." She nodded again.

"This is all too weird. I just don't know how I feel about it. I mean, these last few weeks with Steven have been great. I really, really like him I just don't think I will ever be ok with becoming a giant wolf just to be with him."

"What?! Carol, what did Steven say to you about imprinting?"

"He said it was how wolves recognized their mates. He said he wanted to keep me out of the supernatural world but that as much as he wants to protect me from it, I was meant to be a part it and that it was the only way we could really be together." I laughed as soon as she finished. She gave me a wary look.

"What?"

"I'm sorry sweetie. You misunderstood. You don't have to turn to a wolf to be a part of this world. Imprints don't turn into wolves or any other supernatural being. What he meant it that he for you two to really be together you had to know the truth about who he is. That's what we meant by being a part of this world. Only imprints are allowed to know the truth. Most of the younger wolves aren't even allowed to tell their parents. You don't have to turn into anything for him. In fact, what'll probably happen is that when you are both old enough to get married or live together, he will give up his wolf and become human again so that you can both grow old together. I don't know if he told you this but wolves don't age."

"Oh! ... Well don't I feel stupid?! I haven't been able to sleep for two days!" We both laughed. She wrapped her arms around me to hug me excitedly. I hugged her back.

"So... Steven said that you and Jacob are also imprinted." She said as she sat back against the wall.

"Yes, but it's not like that. He imprinted on me when I was a baby. He just doesn't see me that way. Frankly, I don't know if he ever will." I admitted sadly. It was nice to get it off my chest but I felt the weight of my words once I heard them said out loud.

"But you're his soul mate. What makes you think he won't see you that way? I mean, is he dating someone else?" I found myself shocked by her question. Jacob wasn't dating anyone. In fact, he had never dated anyone since he imprinted on me. He never even looked at another woman in that way.

"No actually. He's never dated anyone."

"See! He's been waiting for you to grow up. Personally, I think its both romantic and a little creepy. But mostly romantic." She batted her eyelashes at me and we both giggled.

"I'm so glad that you know the truth. It's so hard not having anyone to talk to about this."

"Well, you can always talk to me about anything, but I thought you and Anna were best friends." She asked me.

"We are but Anna and Brady have been together for a long time. They tell each other everything and the problem is that wolves can read each other's thoughts when they're in their wolf form. I know she would keep my secrets but I don't want to put her in a position where she needs to keep things from Brady. Its hard and uncomfortable to keep secrets from your imprint."

"Oh. Well you don't have to worry about me. I won't tell Stephen no matter how hard it is."

"Thank you." I told her but I wasn't too worried. Stephen was in a different pack so there was little risk of Jake finding out.

"Ah, good to know. I'm glad I have you too Nessie. So..." She gave me devilish smile, "Are you ever going to show me your superpowers or do I really had to beg here." I laughed out loud again. She was handling all of this really well. I took her hand and I showed her what it was like to run through the forest. I showed her images of my family and the wolves playing baseball and finally I showed her the night Steven imprinted on her.

"Wow. That was amazing! It was like I was there. I swear it I hasn't been holding your hand I would really think I was there." Her eyes were wide but she was smiling.

"Thanks. I guess my power has gotten a bit stronger over the years. Usually, you can see it like a mental re-run not an actual vision, but I haven't used my gift on a human since I was a child."

"Well it was amazing! I wish I could do something like that."

"It is pretty cool but it also has its inconveniences. If I lose control of my emotions, I can project my thoughts onto anyone who's touching me at that moment. I have to be in control all the time."

"Yea, I guess that would kinda suck."

"Oh, it does." I confirmed. We heard the warning bell and headed to first period. I was glad I finally had someone I could confide in. Talking to Carol was a much needed relief and she gave me a lot to think about.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

During my lunch break I took a big risk and went to visit Leah during lunch. She was about to head out for lunch in the teacher's lounge.

"Hey Nessie. What'cha doing here kid?" She grabbed her phone from her desk and walked up to me.

"Steven told Carol about the wolves. Carol thought that in order to be with Steven she had to become a werewolf too." I told her. She immediately began laughing.

"That's a new one. I'll have to tell the guys. They'll love it!"

"I was talking to her about imprinting and she mentioned something that I never thought about before. I was hoping I could ask you about it but you have to promise to try to keep it to yourself. I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea about it." She shrugged her shoulders and signaled for us to sit.

"Um, I am not sure I am the best person to talk to about this. I haven't imprinted." She said as she slid into a desk. I sat in the one next to hers.

"You're my best friend and Jacob's beta so you are the best person."

"Ok... shoot."

"I was just wondering why Jake never dated. I've never seen him with a girl or date anyone, really." I could tell she was surprised by my question.

"You want Jake to date?" She asked skeptically.

"I want Jake to be happy." I said honestly but I didn't answer her question.

"Oh really?" She looked at me skeptically. Leah picked up on everything. I rolled my eyes at her and continued.

"The night of my birthday, Jake told me that I should date. Why shouldn't I want the same for him?" I told her. I edited out a lot but I couldn't risk Jake finding out.

"So why do you want him to date? Won't that bother you?"

"That's not really the point. I know he loves me and wants me to be happy which is why he told me it was ok to date but I was thinking that if he is so ok with me dating then why he hasn't dated anyone over the past few years."

"I see. You think that if he really doesn't think that there is a problem with an imprint dating other people, then he would've been dating someone all this time." I nodded and she continued.

"We've actually talked about this before but the thing is that he's just not interested. The 'turd is genuinely happy with his life and has no need to find happiness somewhere else. I mean most of us who are single feel lonely at some level or want some sort of companionship sometimes but he doesn't feel the need for that. It's kinda irritating actually."

"So it has nothing to do with me." I said softly.

"Are you nuts! It has everything to do with you." Leah looked at me for a moment as if she was trying to read something in my eyes. It was very unnerving.

"What is this really about?" She continued, "I'm not above hanging you upside down from a tree and beating you like a piñata so spill it." I was not sure if I should confess but I did it anyway. After all, Leah was my best friend.

"My feelings for him are starting to change. I think... I don't know Leah. A part of me doesn't want anything to change and another part of me wishes it did."

"Oh." She started to fidget in her chair. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"No!" She paused and appraised me one more time. "Ok, listen kid. None of us have a clear understanding of imprinting. Give it time. If it's meant to be then it will probably happen. I know you hate this, but you are still so young. You are barely a teenager and to have that kind of relationship with a wolf." She shook her head. "I don't know if its the right thing."

"What do you mean?"

"When the other guys imprinted, the wolf imprinted too. I don't know how to explain it but its like the wolf part of us has a connection too. I mean you know how hard it is for us to get a grip on our emotions. That's because the wolf has an influence on what we are feeling, it amplifies everything we feel. When the Paul, Jared and the other guys imprinted, well... Damn it, how do I say this? It was very raw even primal at times and you _are_ just a kid, Ness. I don't think you are ready for that and frankly it would be wrong for Jake to have that type of relationship with you. Eddie will cut his balls off and I wouldn't blame him." I stared at her shocked.

"I don't want to have sex with him Leah! I just... I don't know." I wanted to put my head down on the desk but I held my head high.

"All I'm saying is that once those feelings start he may not be able to control them. He's gonna want you in ways that he shouldn't want a 4 year old."

"I'm 14." I corrected as got up from the desk. I was annoyed. "And I get it. This is all irrelevant. The fact of the matter is that I don't know what I want or what I feel but whatever it is, it definitely has nothing to do with sex. Just forget I said anything. I'm going to lunch."

I couldn't believe what she has insinuated. Why couldn't Jake be in love with me without it being sexual? It wasn't impossible. I was quiet for the rest of the day. My talk with Leah had been a complete waste of time and to make it worst, we had our first fight. I was miserable.

When I arrived at the cottage, mom was in the kitchen making dinner. Daisy came running to the door to greet me. I picked her up and sat with her on the couch to pet her.

"Where's daddy?"

"He's out hunting with your uncles. They might all be coming over to the Forks house this weekend with your aunts."

"That's nice." I told her. I knew she would be able to tell something was wrong so didn't even try to hide it. She came over to the couch and sat next to me Daisy hopped off and went to her bed. She still didn't like the vampires but at least she had finally warmed up to me. Momma took my hand.

"Let's go walk Daisy and then when you're ready, you can tell me." I nodded. I took Daisy's leash out and strapped her to it. Then we both headed out through the woods. When we got to a small clearing I let Daisy off the leash so she can play. Mom sat on the ground and patted the spot next to her. It was a clear day so her skin glimmered like diamonds. She looked like a dream. I sat and began telling her what happened.

"I had a little fight with Leah."

"Oh?" I caught her by surprise. "What about?"

"Jacob."

"Ah." She nodded her head as if this was what she was expecting.

"I just asked her why Jake didn't date anyone and she took it the wrong way."

"What way is that?" Momma's eye brow raised giving her quizzical look that reminded me of grandpa Charlie.

"She thought that I wanted Jake to date me?"

"And you don't want that?" She asked me doubtfully.

"I don't know mom. This is really difficult to talk about with you." I tried not to grumble when I told her that.

"Trust me, I know. But at least if you talk to me about it, you never have to worry about your dad finding out."

"Yea but I have to worry about my mom knowing." She laughed

"Are you getting feelings for Jacob?"

"I little. Its been changing over time but I am not sure what I feel. I don't really want anything to change Mom, I really don't but…"

"But you also want things to change at the same time, right?"

"Yes... Leah said that it would be wrong for Jake to feel this way about me. She said that once those feelings start the wolf will magnify them and that he wouldn't be able to control himself around me."

"Leah needs to give Jake a little more credit. I trust Jake completely and even though I think you are too young, I know that Jake will be a complete gentleman."

"I know that too but it doesn't matter. He doesn't see me that way. I thought that the fact that he hasn't dated anyone meant that he might be waiting for me but Leah cleared that up for me too."

"Jake isn't really waiting to fall in love with you. You are a part of him regardless of who you fall in love with."

"I don't want ot fall in love with anyone else. I want him. Its always been Jacob."I felt moms arm come around me. I laid my head on her lap and she rubbed my back soothingly.

"The truth is that it would break his heart if things changed between you two." Mom told me. I nodded knowing that it was true.

"I know that feeling. I feel as if I would lose something precious if things changed."

"Agh! I can't believe I'm saying this but have you considered that you might gain something even more precious than what you already have. I'm not advocating for you to start dating Jake before you are ready, but I don't want you to be miserable by thinking too much about your relationship. You two are meant to be together so don't over think it. In fact, don't think about it at all. Just let it evolve naturally and you'll see that everything will fall in its place. Go to school, go out with your friends, even date if you want but don't put your life on hold waiting for the imprint to evolve. If things change now for you two then great but if they don't just have fun." I sat up and looked at her to see if she was seriously telling to just go out and have fun with some human kid. She took my face in her hands and dried my tears with her thumbs. "Live sweetie, and when its time you'll know. It will be perfect and right and you will both be ready when it happens." I wrapped my arms around her waist and she stroked my hair.

"Thank you mom, I love you."

"I love you too my little nudger."

We decided to walk home at human pace so that we could talk some more. I was grateful that I had such an understanding mother. When we entered the cottage we saw uncle Seth laying on the couch. He looked terrible.

"Seth? What happened?"

"Where is everybody? Where's Edward?"

"He's out hunting with the guys. What's going on Seth? You look awful."

"I don't know. Sometime ago, I want to say... maybe 3 months ago I felt this pressure in my chest. It would come and go so I didn't really think anything about it. I thought it was just the stress form school but its getting worst, a lot worse."

"I'm calling Carlisle." Mom wet to the phone and started talking to grandpa. I sat next to uncle Seth and took his hand. It was hot. Really hot. I put my hand to his forehead and slid it to touch his face and neck.

"Momma he's really hot. At least 8 degrees hotter, maybe more." She started dialing again. This time she called my father. Then she called Leah and Jacob too. I sat back on the couch and brought his head to my lap so that I could stroke his hair.

"Thanks Nessie. I feel like something is terribly wrong. Like I need to protect someone, like could phase any minute."

"Grandpa and daddy will be here soon. Try to rest." I told him. Momma looked at him worried. She got an ice pack and laid it on his head. She loved Seth. She was happy that he was her stepbrother.

"Are you hungry? I can make something." She told him.

"Naw, its ok." He told her from my lap. Momma and I both looked at each other with the same troubled look. Since when did Seth reject food?

Leah was the first to arrive. She kneeled before Seth and touched his forehead. Her brows furrowed with worry. Jacob and daddy came in at the same time. Jacob stood by the door with a worried look on his face as my dad started examining him.

"You definitely have a fever. Let's go to the main house. Most of the medical equipment is there. Can you walk Seth?"

"Yea, I don't feel weak. I'm just tense, alert; I don't know how to explain it."

"I'm going to get some blood work going while we wait for Carlisle. He should be here in less than ten minutes."

Uncle Seth got up as I did. We all walked with him at human speed to the main house and daddy started the blood work immediately. Jake sat on the couch. He was leaning forward resting his elbows on his knees. I walked towards him and took his arms off his knee so that I could sit on his lap. He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me to him. He was tense. I stroked his arm until he finally relaxed a bit. Grandpa and grandma came in with my aunts. My uncles had already come to the house to set up the medical equipment while dad examined Seth. Leah was about to lose her mind. It was almost an hour before we heard anything. All three of them walked down the steps. Seth followed by my dad and grandfather.

"What happened? Is he ok? Should he be standing?" Leah asked quickly.

"I'm fine. It passed again." Uncle Seth told her. He tried to smile but she looked to fierce that he didn't.

"All his blood work is negative. His temperature is at the level all of you experience when you are about to phase. That's why he felt like he needed to phase earlier. I don't know why he is experiencing the pressure in his chest but the tension is possibly from him holding on to his human form while his body wants to phase into a wolf. Muscle tension and high temperature are the first indicators of a wolf that is about to phase. His body is in a constant state of preparation for a phase that doesn't happen. It can be exhausting which is why he looks like he hasn't slept." Grandpa told us.

"Why do you need to phase so bad?" Jake asked him.

"I don't know. It comes and goes but even when I phase I still feel like I need to be somewhere. Like someone needs my help. I kept thinking there was a vampire nearby but I've been patrolling the campus and came up with nothing. The chest pressure doesn't go away but the high temperature comes and goes. Its like, like something bad is about to happen, I just don't know what it is."

"I don't like it. Its troubling to think that your wolf might be sensing something bad is about to happen. Alice, have you seen anything?" Daddy asked aunt Alice.

"No. I can't really see the wolves but the Volturi aren't making any plans to come and we're still continuing with our plans, except for Carlisle. Carlisle and Esme are going to check up on Seth in Stanford instead of going to the balloon festival."

"You don't have to do that. Maybe I'm just going crazy. Maybe its just college." Uncle Seth said quickly.

"Maybe you need to shut the hell up and let us take care of you. I'll ask for a few days off work but I have to get back by the stupid homecoming. They tricked me into chaperoning and organizing the damn thing this year." Leah told him. I could hear the annoyance in her voice. She definitely wasn't going to let him go home unsupervised.

"We can go stay with him once you return. That will give me enough time to set up my patients with my colleagues. I want to stay with you for a while so that I can observe what's happening. Maybe we can figure out what is triggering it by studying the patterns of the episodes." Grandpa told her.

"In that case, Jasper and I will go with you too. If its stress related, we'll be able to tell." Daddy told him. Uncle Jasper nodded. "

"I haven't been to California in a while." Uncle Jaz told him.

"No you can't do that. You'll miss Nessie's first dance and you all already had plans." Seth complained.

"Your health is important to us, Seth, and I can come back for the day to see Nessie."

"That's right!" I agreed with dad.

"Fine! Just don't tell my mom, ok? I don't want her freaking out too."

"Too late. They're already here." Aunt Alice told him.

Exactly 3 seconds later we heard the cruiser park in front of the old Cullen house. Uncle Seth groaned but it had nothing to do with pain.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

It turned out that Leah didn't need to ask for time off. Grandma Sue and grandpa Charlie stayed with Seth and daddy until grandpa Carlisle and grandma Esme got there. Uncle Seth didn't have any other episode that week. Dad felt confident that Seth was relaxed so he left him under my grandfather's care. They even convinced dad and uncle Jasper to go to the balloon festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the day after homecoming. I was invited to go with them but I decided my parents, as well as my aunts and uncles, needed some adult time so I told them I would stay with grandpa Charlie that weekend. It was homecoming weekend so there would be bonfires every night.

Everything was perfectly fine. The only thing out of the ordinary was that, Carol became confused about my dreams. Eventually, she asked me if she ran through the forest with me and played baseball with my family. She told me she remembered that I had showed her this but that they felt like her own memories. I was so worried that I called daddy to come look at her immediately. Daddy came to school to check her out after Leah called him to let give him the 'ok' to come to the school.

"It seems that she can't differentiate Nessie's visions from her own memories." He told us.

"She was fine a few days ago. What could have happened over night to make her confused?" I asked him.

"Your visions are stronger than usual so it could be that it encoded as a real experience in her long term memory. When humans sleep, they sort out the information that was imputed during the day. Your vision was probably so strong that she encoded as her own memory but in order to do that her mind added information to make it fit this paradigm. The only reason she knows something is wrong is because she also remembers you showing her the visions." He turned back to Carol. "That's why you think you were running with Nessie instead of just seeing the memory of her running through the forest. I'm willing to bet that if you were unconscious when Nessie projected these visions you would actually believe that the memories were yours." I gasped and turned to Carol.

"I'm sorry Carol. I didn't realize that my projections would be so strong."

"Don't worry about it. I still think they were awesome and I sure don't mind having the memories there. They were fun. It was like experiencing a rollercoaster without actually having to ride it." She hopped off the Leah's desk and wrapped her arms around my waist.

"Besides, its homecoming week and we have plenty of things to occupy our minds like getting ready for our first date!" She suddenly opened her eyes and looked at dad realizing that she just told my father I was going on a date. He smiled at her.

"Already knew." He told her as he pointed to his head. Carol started to blush.

"Annoying, isn't it?" Leah said but before she could answer Leah shooed us off to our next period which we were completely late for.

I had decided to say yes to Danny. He was a good young man, like Jake had said. We would go to the dance together as friends. Aunt Alice was more excited about it than I was. It was my first dance and my first date. I wasn't entirely comfortable with the situation but Jacob was genuinely happy for me. Even after the conversation with momma, it still stung and I hated that it hurt me.

Lisa and Carol had gotten their dresses already so aunt Alice was livid. She had already planned on our outfits but she had been too busy planning balloon festival trip to see that they had bought their dresses. She said that the only way to make it up to her was to let her do their hair. I tried to explain to her that Lisa still didn't know about the supernatural but she insisted that we all get dressed at the main house. Her only consolation was that Anna let her buy the dress she would wear so the three of us went dress shopping on Wednesday. While Carol quickly became my best friend, Anna felt more like my sister. Anna had become almost a permanent fixture in my life. She came to the house almost every day to study. She would often have dinner at the house with Brady and we would spend most weekends together with our wolves and Jake's pack. Before I started school, our relationship seemed forced but once we both relaxed, we realized that we fit easily into each other's lives. No one was happier about that than Alice. Now she had two living Barbies.

"Try these three. I already know the one you are going to pick but try the other two just in case." She told Anna.

"I thought you couldn't see us because of the wolves."

"There are no wolves here, missy. Besides, even if I can't wolves, I can see _dresses_!" Aunt Alice grinned at her. "I'm going to setting it up the night before in my room along with these shoes so start getting dressed young lady. We don't have all day." Anna rolled her eyes and headed in the dressing room.

"Here Nessie. Try this other one while I get accessories. "

"I thought I was getting the white one. Why do I need to try this one?"

"To humor me. If you're a good girl I'll buy you both dresses." She patted my head and headed for the accessories. I shook my head and went into the dressing room next to Anna.

"She's always so bossy!" Anna grumbled from her stall.

"You have no idea." I told her.

"She has to act human here so I'm pretty sure we can outrun her. She already knows I'm picking the purple one. We can just ditch her and go watch a movie!" I laughed.

"Do you really want to mess with the woman who is doing your hair in two days? She could make you look like a porcupine." I warned her.

"OMG you're right! Let's just get this over with. Agh! This one is itchy. She better come over quickly or I'm taking it off. Yea, I'm definitely going with the purple."

"I believe it is called lavender." Aunt Alice corrected her from outside the stall. "And I got you both accessories!" She shrieked. We both grunted simultaneously. It was going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

As soon as the girls arrived on Friday, Alice got to work. With my grandmother off caring for Seth, she was forced to recruit my mother to help. Daddy had arrived in early in the afternoon so that he could pick me up from school himself and spend extra time with me.

"Alice don't overdo it. She's only fourteen." He warned her as he reluctantly handed all four of us over to her.

"As if my niece would be anything less than perfect." She nearly growled at him but it was too low for Lisa to hear. Momma rolled her eyes at them.

"Alright pixie. Let's get started. How about I do Renesmee's hair?"

"No! I already got my idea for her. You get Lisa and here is a picture of what I planned for her. Make it good Cullen. I demand perfection." Momma rolled her eyes and our transformations started.

Aunt Alice started with Anna first while I helped momma and aunt Rose with the other girls.

"Do you think you can make me look nice?" She asked shyly as aunt Alice started on her short hair. She had cut it short in January because she donated her hair to a cancer group. She was sure that it would grow back by summer but it had only grown to her shoulders. She looked insecure and very much like the fifteen year old girl she was.

"Oh sweetie, you should know me by know. You will look great. Especially after I clip on these!" She pulled out some extensions from a drawer. Anna smiled.

"Thanks Alice!" She smiled at her through the mirror.

It took several hours because we had to work at human speed but afterwards we were perfect. The boys were meeting us at the party since the only wolf old enough to drive didn't have a car. Besides, I doubted Andrew would let me in his car. We headed downstairs for pictures and snacks, which dad had made. I already knew he was downstairs. I felt the moment he walked in. He was nervous or perhaps those were my feelings, I wasn't sure.

The girls were already downstairs, I could hear Brady compliment Anna's new hair. I followed them downstairs but I had to stop midway. The emotion that crashed into me took me by surprise. It was normal for me to feel Jacob's emotions but I hadn't realized they were becoming more intense until that moment. He was nervous and... frustrated? If I had to put it into one word I would have chosen the word angst. I found his eyes in a dark corner across from me. My heart nearly stopped when I saw those narrow distrustful eyes staring at me.

"Nessie, what's wrong?" Carol asked me from the bottom of the stairs when she realized I wasn't moving. Anna took her hand and winked at me. I had a feeling Anna already knew about my changing feelings for Jake, even though I hadn't told her yet.

"She's fine, Carol. Come on we have pictures to take." Then she pulled her into the living room. Jacob approached me slowly as if I would suddenly run away if he moved too fast. By the time he got to me his expression had changed. I couldn't feel him anymore, through my own confusion.

"You look beautiful." He smiled nervously as he stretched out his hand for mine. I placed my hand on his and he led me to the bottom of the stairs and twirled me. I laughed softly.

"Does that mean you approve?"

"Sure, but only because I know there will be four wolves there."

"I think she can handle herself." My dad said from the corner where Jacob was standing before.

"You look beautiful, love." He told me.

"Nessie, get in here its picture time." Momma yelled from the living room.

After we took pictures, aunt Alice and my mom drove us to the school. Mom gave me one last hug before I went in.

"Have fun baby. Call us if you need anything."

"What time does your flight leave?"

"In about two hours but we can always stay if you want us to." She wasn't too happy about taking a vacation without me.

"Go enjoy yourselves. You deserve a night out without the kids."

"If that's the case then we should leave Emmett behind instead." I laughed as I closed the door.

Our dates waited for us in the hallway. Anna and I were the only ones who decided to go with friends as our dates, since our wolves were too old to go to a high school party. Anna went with Mica and I went with Danny. Carol went with Stephen and Lisa actually went with David, who she really liked. Andrew asked a girl from his class that he liked so at least him and Lisa had real dates. I danced with Mica and Danny for a few songs before we all started dancing as a group. Even Andrew was relaxed enough to come dance with the group.

Towards the end of the night, I started feeling an almost desperate longing for Jacob. When it became unbearable I told the girls I was going to the bathroom and I went outside instead. I knew they would be having too much fun to follow me and Leah was happily distracted by Mr. Cooper, the new gym teacher.

The night was dark and cold. It would have been too cold to venture off for a human but I couldn't feel it, not even in my strapless dress. It only took me a second to hear the soft music somewhere in the forest. I closed my eyes to concentrate on the sound long enough to pinpoint its location, and I headed straight towards it at vampire speed. I saw the twinkling lights before I realized what they were.

I was in a small but wide opening surrounded by Christmas lights that were beautifully hung on the surrounding trees. The music came from a familiar pick-up truck which was also powering the Christmas lights. Inside the truck I could see Jacob fumbling with the stereo trying to get the right base. The wind blew lightly towards him and he turned his head suddenly towards me. He was smiling.

"I was gonna surprise you but I guess you caught me."

"You should know better than to try to surprise a vampire."

"Well... you're only a half leech."

"Watch it dog or I may have to teach you what a half leech can do." He laughed as he got out of the car and stood in front of his truck challenging me.

"You think you're so tough. Show me what you got, Cullen." I smiled and pounced on him from my position. He caught me mid-air and started spinning me as soon as we hit the ground. I laughed as he placed me on the ground, smiling cockily. I shook my head.

"Turns out, _I'm_ the big bad wolf after all."

I pinched his arm hard.

"Ouch! If that's how its gonna be then I won't ask for the next dance."

"You won't?" I gave him my best pouty face. He laughed and bowed slightly.

"May I have the next dance, Miss Cullen?" He said formally as he reached out his hand for mine.

"Yes you may Mr. Black." I told him and I placed my hand on his to let him lead me to the center of the opening.

We danced the song that was playing at that moment until the next song came. It was a slow dance. Jacob smiled, completely comfortable with the situation. He showed no signs of the nervous excitement of a man who was about to slow dance with the woman he was in love with. Without any hesitation and with a steady heartbeat, he took my hand and brought me closer to him. I, however, wasn't so cool in my reaction towards him. I heart was starting to speed up and my stomach suddenly filled with butterflies. Unfortunately, I also felt the sting of his ease with the situation. To him, it was just Jake and Ness, dancing around in the forest, nothing more. I tried to keep this in mind as he closed the distance between us and the butterflies in my stomach went into overdrive. In his mind, there was nothing romantic about the way he held me close to him. He didn't feel the fire I felt on my skin wherever he touched me. I laid my head against his chest and tried to think of something else before he could feel the distress I was feeling through our imprint link. I used my gift to show him how much I appreciated this moment and all the trouble he went through. 'Thank you.' I whispered to him with my gift.

"You're welcome. You know I'd do anything for you." He whispered back. I felt his head getting closer to mine as it always did when he was about to kiss my head. I closed my eyes and waited. I felt his lips against my forehead as he kissed me. It was just as always yet completely different. This time, his lips lingered against my skin and created enough pressure to make both of our hearts beat faster. It was as if he was trying to imprint his lips onto my forehead. It wasn't hard or rough but strong and sensual. I was reveling in the wonderful warming surge of energy that seemed to flow between us igniting every molecule of my body. I sighed contently and came closer to him, leaving no space between us. At that same moment, his body stiffened and he abruptly straitened away from me, loosely holding me at arm's length. His heart sped up faster than a humming bird's wings.

"Jake, what's wrong?"

He looked at me with a horrified look for about a second before his careful mask took its place.

"Nothing." He tried to smile but he couldn't get his muscles to complete the task.

"Jake, your heart is racing. What's wrong?" I came closer to him and took his hand. He took a deep breath and immediately relaxed. His heart started to return to its usual abnormal rate. He tried smiling at me again. This time it looked less plastic than the last but it was still a fake smile.

"Come on, its homecoming. Let me walk you back to the school before Leah starts to panic."

"Jacob Black!" I scolded. He wasn't getting away with changing the topic.

"I'm sorry Ness. I just spazed out for a moment. Please, can we just forget about it? Come on. I want one more dance before you have to go." He took me in his arms again but held me at a slight distance. He was being careful and stiff. It was making me frustrated.

I had a feeling that I knew what had happened between us. I knew that I wasn't alone in my feelings. Something had passed between us. I realized that he was starting to feel as I did. It was the only explanation I could come up with. It was an explanation that gave me hope and for a brief moment, I felt brave. I reached as far as possible to put my hand on his cheek. He looked down to meet my eyes and lowered his head a bit so that I could touch him. I used this new found bravery to show him what I have been hiding since the night of my birthday. I showed him how my feelings have been changing and I told him that it was ok if his were changing too. That I finally knew what I wanted and I us. By the time I was done, we had stopped dancing. He took a step back to looked at me sadly, then he nodded in comprehension.

"I suspected it but I was still hoping…" He stopped mid-sentence and took a breath as if trying to calm himself but his heart was back to normal so I wasn't sure why he hesitated.

"But it's not want I want. It's not the right time for this." He shook his head as if trying to remove something from his mind, then he continued.

"This is so wrong and the worst part is that I'm not in control of it. I thought I was but obviously I'm not. I'm at your mercy here, Ness, so please." He took my hand in his, pleading. "Please don't feel this way anymore." This time I let go of him abruptly, his words burning me like hot rods. He didn't want to have feelings for me. I felt humiliated. I could feel my anger and hurt boiling inside of me.

"You mean don't _make you_ feel this way. Because obviously you could never have those feelings for me on your own. Isn't that how it is? You become whatever I need whether you want it or not? Of course it's ok for you to love me as your best friend's kid but anything else is out of the question. After all, how could a wolf ever love a vampire as his mate?" I mumbled that last part to myself then I looked at him strait in his eyes.

"Would you have even been my friend if you hadn't imprinted or would you have just killed me like any other leech?" My tone was harsh. If I wasn't so hurt I might have been able to soften my tone and filter my words but there was nothing I could do now. The words were said and I could not take them back. I saw the flash of hurt cross his face followed by anger.

"How can you even say that to me, _Renesmee_?" He nearly roared at me. It shocked me for a moment by the power of his anger but I held my ground.

"Because I look at you and all I see is a wolf that doesn't want to even consider falling in love with his mate. What else am I supposed to think other than you don't want to be in love with me because I'm a _vampire_!" The last part came out in a hiss. I could see it my words were making him even angrier.

"How about I don't want to love you that way because you are 4 years old?! Damn it Ness! Don't you see what feelings like that would make me? I am a man and you're still a little girl. I am not some sick pervert!" There was almost a desperate tone in his voice. It was as if he was truly afraid of becoming one. His fear may be uncalled for but it wasn't any less real so I had to acknowledge it. I took a deep breath trying to calm myself. I had to stop acting like a hormonal teenager and start acting like an adult.

"And I am not a child, Jacob." I said as softly and evenly as I could. I tried to bring my voice back to normal in order to gain control of the situation.

"You may talk like grown up and even act like one sometimes, but you're not an adult either, Ness." I tried to keep calm but his words kept making me angrier and angrier. He was so frustrating! Neither of us were looking at one another so I didn't notice when he took a step closer to me. He took my hand into his and I allowed it. His eyes were remorseful and ashamed.

"I held you in my arms when you were a little baby. What I felt at that moment changed my life forever. The love that washed over me the moment I looked at you for the first time was the purest, most unselfish, and unconditional love anyone could ever feel. Can't you see how wrong it would feel for me if that changed? Losing the way I feel about you would be like losing a part of me. You are my whole world, Renesmee. I love you too much to even consider loving you in any other way." His eyes were pleading with me. Tears spilled down my eyes. I knew exactly what he meant but it didn't change the way I felt. Even at that moment, the way he looked at me, the way his thumb caressed the skin of my hand made me warm inside. I believed with all of my might that there was nothing wrong with him loving me differently so I had to try to fight for him.

"I can't change the way I feel. I can't change how I want you to love me." I confessed in a whisper. He let go of my hand but I continued, "I'm growing, my feelings are changing. I can't just not love you. What we have is precious to me too Jake but I know that what we _will_ have is even more precious. There is nothing wrong with loving me differently, this is what is supposed to happen." I explained. He shook his head. He was exasperated, maybe even desperate but I was resolved in my decision.

"No one really knows how imprinting works. Maybe you're supposed to grow up and chose who you want to be with. Maybe I'm supped to just help you and support you in that process. You can choose whoever you want. It doesn't have to be me." He pleaded again. My insides were raw. I was tired of fighting for him. It shouldn't be this difficult to love your imprint. He had to make a choice, just as I had.

"The thing is, that I have chosen. I chose you and, frankly, if you can't accept it... then, perhaps, you need to stay out of my life." I kept my voice even but the pain I felt nearly made me chock on my words. "You wanted a choice, now you have one." I said decisively as I gave him an ultimatum.

"What?" He was stunned. For a moment, he looked at me as if I was a stranger to him.

"I'm sorry, but I am not going to pretend that I don't feel what I do and I'm certainly not going to spend eternity hung up on someone who won't love me back and possibly never will." I explained calmly, almost mechanically. He stared at me for a moment, possibly still stunned but then something in his eyes changed.

"I see. You're right. You are growing up, your feelings are changing, and it wouldn't be fair to ask you to pretend otherwise." The look that crossed his face began to scare me. He looked both pained and desolate. I pretended not to see it, concentrating on his words because somehow they gave me hope even though his eyes did not.

"Precisely. This doesn't have to be something wrong Jake. Well take things slow and…"

"You're misunderstanding me Ness. You shouldn't have to wait around to see if I change my mind. I think its time for me to go for a little while." His face was emotionless as he said his word, as if he were wearing a mask. I looked into his eyes to see if he was serious. He was. The tears were back again. They flowed freely now.

"I'm sorry, Ness. I just think it's the best way. You only have a few more years before you stop aging. I think it will be better if things are a more stable and normal for you. It's not normal for you to be hanging around a man that is more than twice you're age. Of course, you feel this is the way things are meant to be. You can't even see your other options."

"What other options? I'm not human, there's nothing normal about my life. I was born for you!" I paused for a moment realizing gravity of what he was about to do to me. "Are you seriously gonna pull an Edward on me? How can you even consider putting me through that, Jake?" I tried to keep my voice steady but a small sob broke out regardless. The memory of my mother's pain had broken his mask. His face was hard and pained as he considered what his departure might do to me. He couldn't look at me. He looked at the trees and then he looked at the ground before he continued.

"It won't be like that. I just want you to have a normal childhood as best you can. There's still so much that you haven't experienced and I can see how it can get confusing with me around all the time. I'll definitely visit when I can and we can email, talk on the phone. It won't be like them. It'll be fine." I could hear the insecurity in his voice but his eyes were resolved. He was leaving me.

"I can't believe you are doing this. If you really want to go, then go." I was angry and pained but my voice was just a whisper. I felt as if I were in some sort of nightmare.

"I'm sorry I ruined your night. This was such a stupid idea." He muttered the last part to himself, "Come on, let me take you back to the gym." He reached for my hand but I swat it away.

"Just go!" I shouted. He was startled by my reaction. He looked at me for a moment then he went to his car to unhook the lights. The darkness came suddenly but my eyes adjusted immediately. He hesitated for a moment, then I saw him look at someone behind me. He silently got into his truck but before he closed the door he said, "It'll be ok Ness. I promise. Just go back and try to enjoy your party. I'll call you tomorrow." He closed the door and then he left.

The adrenaline that I was feeling from our emotional roller coaster had depleted and I was suddenly exhausted. Now that he was gone, I could feel my heart collapse and my body collapsed along with it. The loud sobs surprised me. I didn't feel them coming until they were already there, echoing back from the trees. My entire body shook. It was only a moment later that I felt warm arms pick me up from the ground. I was surprised at the sent that accompanied them but I was too far into despair to care.

"I can take you home, if you want." Andrew told me quietly. I lifted my finger to let him know I needed a moment. He waited for me to compose myself, without saying a word.

"I'm supposed to stay with grandpa this weekend. My family is on vacation." I whispered after a moment. He secured me in his arms and began making his way to the school. A few moments later, I was finally able to calm down. The tears still flowed freely but I was starting to regain control.

"How much did you hear?"

"I heard most of it. I really didn't mean to follow you. I just got a little anxious after you didn't come back. Old habits die hard... I'm sorry." He smiled sheepishly. I would have laughed is I wasn't so heartbroken.

"It's ok. I'm glad you found me. I think I had a panic attack. I didn't realize I could."

"I guess you're half human after all." He smiled at me as he weaved out of the trees and into the parking lot to get his car. "If it makes you feel better, I think you were right. You're obviously not a four year old. So, what are you supposed to do, pretend you don't love your imprint? Besides, it's not like you guys couldn't take it slow. I don't know. It doesn't really matter. I don't think he's actually capable of leaving anyway so he's gonna have to find a way to deal with it."

"Thanks Andrew." We both got into the car and he drove me to my grandfather's house. Only there would I let the real tears come out.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

"Rise and shine, kiddo. We gotta talk." I heard her words through the thick veil of my dream. Truth be told, I was grateful for the interruption, I kept dreaming about Jacob leaving me; nevertheless, I was still annoyed she was there.

"It's 5 in the morning. I don't really feel like talking Leah." I told her as I curled against Daisy's back. Daisy had heard my sobs and started scratching my door to let her in my room. As soon as I did, she walked in, jumped on my bed, and waited for me to let it out. I really appreciated her company. Leah on the other hand, was a different kind of bitch.

"Well I just got off patrol and I thought you might want to tell me why my alpha ran off all the way to Canada. What the hell happened last night?"

"I told him how I felt. He rejected me. I gave him an ultimatum. He left. End of story."

"It was a little bit more than that kid."

"What do you want me to say Leah?! He left me! I showed him how I felt. I confessed my love to the man that is supposed to be my soul mate and he shut me down like in some dumb teenage sitcom. Why does this have to be some damn complicated? We're meant to be together."

"Ness, I think you went about it the wrong way. The guy is so worked up about it that he can't even phase back. I am not saying I agree with his decision to leave but… "

"Oh, so now you're on my side." I cut her off angrily.

"No. Jacob was right to want to wait and to give you time to grow up but I saw what you said to him and guess... I can see your point too. Its stupid for you to go and string someone along when you're already in love with the guy you are meant for but it doesn't mean its the right time either."

"You've already made your opinion on the subject clear. I don't need a recap." I got out of the bed and started getting dressed.

"For someone who claims to be a grown up you sure as hell aren't acting like one."

"The love of my life rejected me only a few hours ago so forgive me if I'm not in the mood for this right now." I finished tying my hair into a pony tail and I grabbed Daisy's leash. "Tell grandpa I'm taking the dog out and go get some sleep. You look worse than me. Come on Daisy."

I took the dog out for a long walk. While I checked all my missed messages.

_Nessie, don't be mad but I made Andrew tell me. Are you ok?_ -Anna.

_I hope your not home being sad by yourself. Do you want me to come over?_ -Anna

_Carol asked about you. Can I tell her what happened? She's driving me nuts!_ -Anna

_I'm really starting to get worried. Andrew said that you were pretty upset and that you might have your phone off. I'm going to stop nagging but call me as soon as you get this._ -Anna

I felt so guilty for not answering her before. I didn't want to wake her at that unholy hour so I sent her a text instead.

_Sorry I worried you. I did have my phone off until just now. I'm really fine. I feel a lot better. You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine._ I pressed send. That was the first time I lied to her. The phone rang a few seconds later.

"Hello Nessie?" Anna's voice sounded drowsy.

"Hi Anna, sorry I woke you."

"Its ok. I'm glad you texted me. You wrote fine one too many times which makes me think you're really not."

"I'm just so angry and disappointed and worried that he's really leave. If I really thought he was going, I would have never... Oh God Anna, what am I going to do if he leaves me?" My voice sounded scared and full of emotion.

"He's not going to leave. And if he even tried, your family will drag his ass back so quick it would be like he never even left. I happen to know this for a fact."

"What do you mean?"

"You how I've been wanting to tell my parents about Brady and me?"

"Yeah. Last month, you said you were thinking about it but you weren't sure how they would react about you dating a college guy."

"Right. So two weeks ago while I was waiting for you to get back from your bike ride with Jake, I was considering asking your parents what they thought and well… You know Edward. He read my mind and they were suddenly there sitting next to me. I hate it when they do that!" I smiled.

"Sorry about that. You know how he is."

"I know. Anyways, point is that we talked about it and they told me that at first they hated that Jake imprinted on you but that when they saw how much he cared about you and how much you cared about him, they changed their minds."

"I know that. I remember."

"What you don't know is that they said that if you and Jake decided that you wanted to date, they would give you their blessing. I even asked them if they minded that you were in high school and they said they didn't because they trust Jake and they would never let anyone say otherwise. They said that just like Brady had proven himself more than capable of being respectful over the past few years, Jake also has proven himself. They trust him."

"Mom told me something similar. If only he could trust himself. How did you convince Brady to date you?"

"We've only been _dating_ for a few months. I still have a hard time with him. I'm only 16 so he draws very strict lines on our relationship. We only hold hands and kiss a little. Trust me, its very PG. Pretty much, what you've seen us do in public is exactly what goes on in private. Even then he feels guilty about it. Like he's doing something wrong. I want to at least make out once but he won't let it happen. We had our first fight because of it. Sometimes I feel like the more I push the further apart we get and the separation hurts him."

"Oh. I didn't know it was like that."

"Yeah. They feel pain even when we are upset. Fighting among imprints doesn't happen much but it happens. I feel bad because even if its only an emotional distance it still hurts him a lot and its a physical pain. I don't like seeing him struggle like that. Sometimes it makes me wish that I was younger again so that I could be satisfied with just holding hands or pecks on the cheeks."

"I know what you mean. I wish I could go back but I can't. I want more. I need more." I confessed sadly.

"It'll be ok, Nessie. You'll both figure it out."

"Thanks Anna."

"Any time. Come over if you wanna talk some more ok?"

"Ok. Go back to sleep. I'll call you later." I told her and we both hung up.

By the time we got to grandpa's everyone was eating breakfast. As usual, Leah hadn't listened to me about going to sleep and she was sitting at breakfast eating a large stack of waffles and waiting for me. I excused myself from breakfast, letting them know I wanted to hunt. Before Leah could offer to come with me, I told them Andrew was waiting for me to hunt. I lied. I saw him out in the forest during my walk with Daisy but I hadn't talked to him. I took my coat, so that grandpa didn't worry, and I left for Billy's hoping that Jacob would be there by now. He wasn't.

"No he's not here, hun. Apparently my son decided to go to Canada for a run. Paul said that you guys had some sort of fight?" He looked as me speculatively. I nodded. Another tear threatened to come out but I didn't allow it.

"I'm sorry Billy. This is all my fault."

"No its not. That boy can be as stubborn as a rock. Why don't you wait for him here? Have you had breakfast yet?"

"No, but why don't I make us some?" I offered.

"It's a deal!" He winked at me, satisfied.

I spent a few hours with Billy before I realized it was pointless to continue waiting. He wasn't going to return until he calmed down and I knew that would take a while. I said my goodbye's to Billy and I went to the cottage to play my piano. Playing always helped me relax. I went in the house and was about to go to my music room when I saw my bike helmet on the side table by the couch. I stared at it contemplating the wisdom of my decision but I wasn't in the mood for rules and safety. I wanted to be defiant. I needed to do something reckless and this would only be minimally stupid. After all, the riding with supervision rule was really for legal purposes. There was no threat to my safety if I were to ride on my own. I took the helmet in my hands and headed towards the garage at the main house.

* * *

Riding my bike was thrilling. It was not like running or riding on Jacob's back, it was a human type of thrill. Aunt Rose and Jacob had made some major modifications so that it was both fast and gas efficient. Who had time to remember gas when they were riding at over 100 miles per hour? So I got on my new bike and rode to wherever the road took me.

The sun had gone down, indicating that it was late in the afternoon. It only felt like minutes but I knew that it had been hours by the time my gas tank was empty. I didn't even know where I was but I stopped for gas at a quaint gas station next to an old fashioned diner. I filled up my tank and was about to get back on my bike when the wind blew a familiar scent my way. I looked at the tree line and a moment later a tall tan woman walked out wearing a pair of shorts and a wrinkled shirt. She looked pissed.

"I have been chasing after your ass for _hours_! What the hell were you thinking running off like that?!" Leah was so pissed she actually looked scary. I fought back the tremor that threatened to emerge and I stood my ground.

"I needed to think so I went out for a ride. I didn't know you were following me. You know I would have stopped if I did."

"Running away is more of a Jake thing. I really didn't think you could be this stupid!" I brushed off the stupid comment knowing I had to tread lightly with this wolf.

"I wasn't running away, just needed to clear my head. I was actually gonna return home now but since you've been chasing me for hours, why don't I treat you to dinner. I bet you're hungry." She narrowed her eyes at me.

"I know what you're doing kid. You can buy me dinner but you're nowhere near off the hook." She growled the words out threateningly.

"That's fine. Come on, let's eat." I said confidently, knowing that a fed Leah is far less lethal than a hungry one.

"Hold on. Let me just let Jake and the others know its ok. After 5 hours of me chasing after you he started to panic and started running back to get the troops together."

"Oh gosh! What a drama queen. He's can be worse than daddy sometimes."

"I'll be sure to tell him that."

She disappeared into the trees and emerged a few moments later.

"So what's the verdict?"

"He's pissed and your mom apparently has been trying to call after a frantic call from your grandpa and Jake so… so you're grounded."

"Wow, I've never been grounded before. I'm not sure if I should feel offended or excited."

"Try to feel offended when we get home or you might get a longer sentence."

"It doesn't really matter. There's no sentence worse than Jake leaving. Why did I have to give him an ultimatum?"

"Cause you're an idiot teenager which is perfect cause so is he."

We entered the diner and sat down to eat at a booth. The waitress was surprised at the amount of food we ordered. 'Got 'nuf for five truckers.' She commented as she brought our food. We ate in silence until dessert.

"Jake is going to stay with Seth at Stanford." She informed me. "He decided it last night. He thinks he might take a few classes and work for a bit until you go to college. He plans to transfer close to whatever school you wanna go to."

"Why? So that he can watch over me or because he finally plans to stop being ridiculous about us?"

"I don't think he's decided that part yet but I don't see him doing much resisting when you are in college. He might not care about some high school kid taking you to a dance but I'm willing to bet million bucks that he's gonna change his mind when he sees a bunch of horny frat boys asking you out. He won't be able to refuse you then. All you have to do is wait."

"Right because the imprint is going to tell him to want me all of a sudden. How great." I said sardonically.

"Bitter is not a pretty color on you kid. Why don't you leave that one for me and trust me. You can fool anyone you want, even yourself, but deep down you know that if that man had met you instead of Bella he would have been yours. Hell, even if he had met you after Bella and, of course, he would still be yours. Imprint or no imprint." There was confidence in her voice as if she had some insider knowledge about the subject.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Ok... I'm going to tell you something about Sam, Emily and me. I never told anyone this but... There was a reason why I tried to keep Sam away from Emily when he and I were dating."

"What do you mean? Sam knew Emily before he imprinted?"

"Emily was my best friend since we were little girls. She used to spend a lot of time at LaPush. We all used to hang out together when we were younger. Sam always preferred her, even back then. She said she wasn't interested but knowing Emily, I know the only reason she said that was because she suspected I liked him too. When we were high school, he finally gave me the time of day but even then he never really looked at me the way he looked at Emily when we were all little. It took me a long time to admit that to myself. Even Jared at Kim had the hots for each other before they imprinted, they just never knew so he never had the guts to ask her out. Same with Paul and Rachel. Those two grew up together but neither ever considered it because he was younger than her. They just needed the imprint to finally make it ok and to give them the courage to pursue one another."

"You really think Jacob would have asked out the half leech who killed his best friend?" We both knew there was no chance of that.

"Believe it or not, I do. For you and Jake, the imprint was more like bridge for him to be able to get to know you. If the imprint didn't exist, him getting over what happened to your mom would have been the biggest battle for both of you to overcome but after you gave each other a chance to know one another..." She shrugged her shoulders contemplating on the idea. "Or maybe if you met each other without knowing who you were then, yea. I believe that once you would have gotten to know one another you would have fallen in love." I tried to see the scenario she presented. Jake and myself in some alternate reality where we met without knowing our histories. Hiding who we were and slowly getting to know one another, falling in love and then finally, when the truth was revealed it would have been too late. I would have loved him regardless the past or what he was and I was almost sure he would have loved me also.

"Frankly, I always thought Bella was all wrong for him. She was such a quiet whinny bitch. You are much more his speed." She continued. It was still a little weird to talk about my mom and my Jake in that sense but unfortunately I cannot changed what happened.

"I was pretty quiet too, as a kid."

"Yeah but after hanging out with a bunch of talkative, loud, bad mouthed wolves, you finally stated acting like a normal kid."

"Yeah. There was no way I could just go walk around touching all of you every time I had something to say."

"See. Jake is good for you too, just like you are good for him. That's why fate brought you together even though you were just a baby. You both needed each other."

"Thanks Leah." I smiled at her to let her know I was ok. "Let's go home. I'm thirsty."

"I thought you were going hunting with _Andrew_ this morning?" She said sarcastically.

"You know very well that I didn't so come on before I attack _you_, wolf girl."

"Ha! As if you could ever catch me."

We went outside and I headed towards my bike.

"Do you want a ride?"

"Why? So you can have a taste of me when I'm not looking."

"Sure, sure. Cause you're absolutely ravishing."

"Maybe after you drink something we can go. I'd hate to have to break those pretty teeth of yours."

"I can wait 'till Forks."

"You just want to see Jake. I'm not enabling you your sick need to be near each other. Let's go hunt now. You've never hunted in this area before. Might find some nice mountain lions here."

"Ok. You're right, I'm tired of elk anyway. Let's go!"

We hunted for about an hour. The sun was starting to set by the time I was done. We found a stream so that I could wash off some of the leftover blood. Leah was in human form making fun of my sloppy feeding session when we were suddenly frozen, our bodies immobile. The panic that filled me at that moment was palpable. I couldn't even move my eyes but I could see Leah's panicked eyes in my periphery. We didn't know what was happening, we didn't see the danger that was approaching us downwind, where we couldn't smell them coming.

"You were right Ramon. There _was_ a fine prize up here."

"I told you I had sensed something good. It's a bit out of our way but worth leaving the other two behind, don't you agree?"

"Ha! You and your feelings, you lucky bastard! I'm just glad you fished us a hybrid this time. Things should be a lot less messy with her. Maybe I can finally have a taste instead of letting you have all the fun." He said as he collected me in his arms. Ramon already had Leah so they both stated running through the trees. I didn't understand the meaning their words but I guessed that they were both gifted. I suspected that Ramon could sense victims (or perhaps he could sense whatever object he desired); while, the other could paralyze his victims. Yes it had to be the other one who was causing this immobility. It's very rare for vampires to have two different gifts. I couldn't move but I could feel his cold hands against my back and the warm tears that stroked my cheeks. I was terrified. I wasn't sure what they wanted but I knew it would be bad.

* * *

**Jacob**

I really couldn't understand why I had to leave her like that. I should have known this was coming. Ever since her birthday, she had been different and so had I. Her scent started to change less than a week after her damn birthday. It was only a matter of time before the wolf would take notice that her scent and her body were becoming more womanly. It was the wolf made me get sparks all over my body whenever she touched me, now. And then when I kissed her... Ugh! I've kissed her on her head a thousand time but it never once felt the way it did last night. I felt something surge through my entire body like if our connection had suddenly gotten stronger. Like something shifted. I was beginning to realize that I was falling in love with her.

Things were changing. Last night her touch made me long for her in a way that was different from how I usually long for her while she's at school and I'm stuck at work. Thankfully it wasn't the way my brothers longed for their their imprint. It felt more like how the pups feel when they go out with a girl they liked. There was an innocent virtuous component to it. But it was only a matter of time before that changed too. This was a fucking nightmare! Of course, my feelings had nothing to do with sex. I would never allow anything remotely sexual happen between us but things were changing and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Why can't things with Nessie ever be easy? All I want for her is to have a childhood.

_I'm such an idiot! I should have never left her. _All she wanted me to do was to try. Sure it felt completely horrifying but I could have faked it for her.

_You wanted her to have a normal life. There's nothing wrong with that. That kid sure could use some normal! She's even talking and acting more like a teenager now that she's in high school._ Embry reminded me.

_I know. She's been doing so great. I thought she was happy. Why does she need more than I can give her?_

_She's a teenager. Teenagers always want more, besides, Ness is different. She grows fast, bro. She needs more because she's grown up. _

_She's not fucking grown up!_

_She may be four but we all know she's not. She may look 14 but we also know she's not. All I am saying is that she needs more than just companionship and its stupid to ask her to get it from someone else when the only person that can make her feel right about who she is is you. _ I caught the under current of his thoughts.

_An I just made her feel like there's something wrong with her, with us._

_Yep._

_Way to make me feel better. _I told him sarcastically. Asshole only made me feel worse. Now I also had to worry that I made her feel bad about herself. She had been doing so well at school, feeling like a normal kid. Damn! I really hopped I didn't set her back. I was already close to Forks when Leah finally phased to me they were going to have dinner some girl talk. I relayed the message Bella had given me earlier trying my best to convey her the anger and worry I was feeling so that she could let Nessie know she was in serious trouble. She only laughed at me as she phased back. As much as she annoyed me, I thanked God for Leah every day. I don't know how it happened or why but I was grateful for her friendship with Nessie. She needed someone like her. Probably more than she needs me.

_Don't be ridiculous. They both need you. Leah loves her and she loves you too. That's why she protects her. There's nothing more important to Leah than family. Why do you think she's stuck around all these years? _

_I don't know. Cause she's a masochist. Seth is California. If what you say is true then why isn't she with him?_

_Because he doesn't need her anymore, dumbass. Nessie does. I mean think about it. It would be so much easier for her to get away from all this. Away from Sam, his family. She stays for you and for her. _

I thought about that. It made sense. Underneath all the anger and bitterness Leah was a loving caring person. She was also fiercely protective. We all knew this about her. I saw it the day she braved going into the Cullen house, on her own, to yell at Bella for stringing me along. I thought that was reserved for her brother but after some time her protective nature extended to all of us.

_Just don't let her know that we know about her soft side or the bitch side will kick our asses. _I laughed realizing how true that was.

I got home just as the sun was beginning to set. We felt Brady phase and he started running rumbling something about 'stupid wedding planners'. We tried to leave him alone to give him privacy but I could see his frustration. His sister was getting married to a rich guy she met in college and his family wanted a big wedding in some country club. He had to wear a tux. I was about to tell him to relax when I felt a sudden rush of fear unlike anything I have ever felt before. I knew immediately that is was Nessie.

_Nessie!_

_Calm down Jacob. It could be anything. _Brady told me. I was about to phase but I remembered I had to call Bella from a pay phone earlier cause I didn't have my phone with me.

_Brady, phase back and try to get a hold of Leah or Nessie! _I tried not to make it sound harsh but her emotions were too strong.

_We'll come over to your location. Just put them on speaker phone._ Embry told him.

_Hurry up!_ I snapped. We felt him phase back as we ran towards him. I felt bad for snapping but her fear and desperation was too strong for subtleties. Embry got to him first. I could see him on the phone through Embry's eyes. No one was answering.

"I'm gonna try Nessie this time. They could both be on the bike. Its hard to hear a phone ring on that thing." He said as he dialed the number but I could see the worried look on his face. If they were on their way home, there was no reason why Nessie would be terrified. No answer. He tried them both several more times but they still didn't pick up.

_Dammit! Phase back and tell him to call Edward. _I yelled at Embry.

_Ok, but calm down bro. We'll find them. _I knew he was worried too. I prayed. I prayed as hard as I could that the girls were ok.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Renesmee**

I kept myself focused on my surroundings to help me calm down. By my calculations, they ran about 107 miles South-East of our original location. They brought us to an abandoned warehouse or factory of sorts. It was hard to tell. It was rare to see a modern concrete structure in the middle of a forest so I wondered if there was a lumber mill nearby. I observed all of the exits, memorizing our path. They took us to a hall with three iron doors. I could hear other heartbeats nearby and I began to panic again. They took us in one of the rooms and dropped us on the floor.

"Pull back." Ramon said to his companion. "We should talk to them." I started to feel my body again. Both Leah and I immediately stood into an attack position. Leah pulled me behind her but I was still ready to attack. My uncles had trained me but I was still just a half breed.

"There, there young ones. You don't want me to put you under again. We just want to chat." Ramon told us in a patronizing voice.

"What the hell do you want?" Leah hissed at him.

"What are you? You smell... like a dog actually?" Ramon's friend asked us.

"That is none of your fucking business! Why the fuck are we here?!"

"Calm yourself child. You're not in any position to ask questions so answer us and you might actually live through this." Ramon said in a hiss. I could tell he was losing his patience and I became afraid. I panicked so I stepped forward.

"She's a shape shifter and I am a hybrid. We answered your question. Now answer ours. Why are we here?" I asked him directly. I tried to keep my voice steady but there was no hiding my terror. He smiled at me as if he were pleased I spoke.

"You are here to help us. We have been trying to create offspring, quite unsuccessfully. I am able to identify potentials and my friend Levan is able to paralyze them so they can remain still while I try to _work_. But you see… It is rather difficult to remain... _controlled_. Things get quite messy. We've had 2 successes and many _many_ failures and poor Levan hasn't had a chance to have his fun because he has to concentrate on keeping me from killing them. Since it seems your kind is a bit more durable than the humans, I've put all my energy into finding hybrids. I've been searching for months and then suddenly there you were. If you cooperate, we will make sure it is as painless as possible. And I will even consider keeping your wolf friend alive. There is no reason why this cannot be civilized." Leah hissed and immediately pulled me completely behind her.

"You are not touching her!" I felt my body immobilize again and Leah was suddenly quiet. She was immobile too.

"Oh don't worry my dear. We have plans for you too. I've heard of the wolf shifters. I'll have to see exactly how strong you really are before we can start but as for your friend..." Levan smiled as he grabbed me.

"Actually, I hear the wolves are quite strong. But we'll try her later. Go have your fun, old friend. I'll stand guard in case she gets difficult." Ramon told Levan. As soon as the door shut behind us I heard Leah's screams.

"Wait, wait! Don't fucking hurt her! Take me, it won't work with her. She's too young, she hasn't even had her period yet! I'm just as fucking durable as her. Please! Take me, damn it! Take me!" I heard her scream through the door, the last part turning into a sob and a moment later I heard a roar. She had phased. Levan stopped and looked at me.

"She does look young." He said as he examined my face.

"If the shifter is right this will be a waste of time. It might be better if you take the shifter regardless. Think of the possibilities of such a child. The shifters are strong. No need to wait for the hybrid to grow, just take the shifter now. " Ramon told Levan. I could hear the excitement in his voice. He reminded me of Aro.

"Perhaps you are right." I begged him not to hurt her with my eyes but it was too late. His mind was resolved. Tears flowed freely down my cheeks as the horror before me began to unfold. We re-entered the room. Leah was in her wolf form. She tried to attack them but Levan paralyzed her midair.

"I can kill her just as easily as I can take her, wolf, so I suggest you change back." He spat. Leah moved again. She whimpered and phased back to her human form. Tears rolled down her face.

"Convenient." He said as his eyes grazed her naked body.

"Let. Her. Go" He voice was fierce even though she was crying. He set me on the floor this time and I saw Leah freeze again as he took her in his arms.

"I don't think this little one will be trouble but keep an eye on her anyway." He told Ramon. As soon as the door closed, I regained my senses and began screaming and sobbing for Leah. A part of me wanted to tell them that she lied, that she couldn't have children but the only words that escaped my mouth were my useless cried for Leah. I was too afraid. I was terrified. I felt my body crumble against the steel door hopelessly.

I heard another door open and close down the hall followed by the cries. A sudden frantic panic ran through my body and brought me to my feet. I tried punching through the steel walls and door but it was useless. My best friend was being raped and I couldn't do anything to stop them. My only hope was that she could have given someone our location while she was in wolf form but even then it would take them hours to make the run and Leah didn't have that time. Why did I had to be some useless hybrid? A vampire would have been able to punch through the stupid wall but here I was useless! I had only made minor damage but it was all that I could do to keep myself from going insane. I heard the door open and I turned quickly to see Ramon at the door. He approached me slowly before he stopped in front of me smiling in such a way that it made me shiver in fear.

"You might be too young but you are a beautiful girl. No reason why I can't have a little taste of what's to come." He said cynically. The combination of anger and fear that surged inside me was overwhelming. I prayed with every fiber of my being that Jacob or someone would magically appear to rescue us but I knew that it wouldn't happen. No one would come for us, at least not in time to stop this.

It was only a second before he had me pinned to the wall. I remembered how only a few weeks ago I had thought the man I feared most was Jacob. I was wrong. He held both of my arms with one hand above me while his pelvis pinned my lower body. I was trembling, still shocked by the sudden movement and terrified by the evil in his eyes. I felt his hardness against me and I screamed. He silenced me by smashing his cold hard lips against mine. _My first kiss_ I thought miserably. I could feel the bile rise in my throat but he released me and I choked on my own vomit.

"Hush beautiful. Like we said, this can all be very civilized." He smiled sadistically.

"It doesn't mean I'll be gentle but it doesn't have to be savage." He informed me as he touch my breast through my clothes. His lips grazed my neck and he kissed it. Hard enough to cause me pain.

"Your skin tastes amazing. I wonder what other parts of you taste good." He said as he unbuttoned my pants and I felt his hand touch the skin of my lower belly. As his hand lowered, I felt his teeth pierce my skin and his venom entered my bloodstream. That's when everything changed. A rush of adrenaline as well as a pure unadultered panic and hatred spread throughout my body. My vision had turned red as I felt the familiar surge I felt when my power was about to kick in but this time it was more powerful than ever before. He held my hands captive above my head but I didn't need them. The power somehow exploded out of me and poured itself directly onto him. I felt all the fear, horror, and pain radiate out of me in one swift instant.

The power burst only lasted a moment but it was all I needed. He gasped in surprise releasing my neck and he backed up letting go of my body. My instincts took over and I jumped on his back while sinking my teeth into his neck mechanically. It was not the butter smooth feeling of sinking my teeth into elk but more like the feeling of biting into a hard nutshell. Difficult but not impossible. The crunch of his head being severed from his body was one I would never forget but I didn't have time to contemplate on my first kill. I turned towards the door and I noticed that the keys were hanging on the door, so I ran at inhuman speed out of the room grabbing them on my way out the door.

* * *

**Jacob**

Embry phased back and told Brady to call Edward. I saw him phase into a wolf again as Brady dialed Edward. I heard Edward answer the phone in his musical voice.

"Edward! Hey, um. Have you talked to Nessie or Leah?" Brady said anxiously.

"No. Leah called us to tell us she was with her but we're still waiting for Nessie to call. What's going on Brady? Where's Jacob?"

"Look man. I don't want you to freak out but we can't get a hold of her or Leah and just a few minutes ago Jake felt that Nessie was in fear. It was strong. I never felt anything like that."

"Put Jacob on the phone." I heard him say. I didn't want to break the connection in case Leah phased but I let my body cool and change back to human form. I grabbed the phone quickly trying my best not to break it.

"It's me Edward. I it started about 15 minutes ago. Has anyone over there been able to get a hold of them?"

"No. What is it that you're feeling from her?

"She's terrified Edward. It's like she's desperate, angry, I think maybe even in pain. Damn it! I'm going crazy here! Tell me you have some sort of tracker on her phone or something."

"The cell phone has a GPS through the phone company. We activated it when you told us she ran away. She was still in Washington last time I checked. We're checking it now to see if... Jacob, the tracker says she's still in the state. Leah's phone is also there. We're getting flights right now to..." He stopped the moment we heard Embry's whimper. Brady had him on speaker phone so I knew Edward heard the cry and didn't need to explain. I immediately tossed the phone to Brady and phased back. The moment I turned I heard Leah's desperate voice and her thoughts flooded my mind with images in random. It didn't make sense. All I could tell is that two leeches had taken them. Embry and I started running. Brady phased back too and was trying to make sense of it so that he could tell Edward.

_Leah where are you?!_ Embry tried to stay calm but it was hard with both her and my connection. We tried to concentrate on her memories of the building they were taken into.

_Fuck! Embry! I don't know! We were hunting in the forest behind some truck stop diner. Wally's I think. They took us south west. I'm not sure how many miles but I'm willing to bet it was close to a hundred or... Wait. They're coming back with her. It worked._

_What worked?_ He asked. That's when we saw her memory desperate cries to take her instead of Nessie. To rape her. They were planning to rape them! We were all filled with our own fear when they reentered the room. One of them held my Nessie in his arms. Tears were rolling down her frozen face. She seemed like she was paralyzed. Leah jumped to attack him but he paralyzed her too midair.

_Leah! Fight back Leah!_

_I can't Jake._ She sobbed into our head. She felt defeated. We could feel her pain and horror mix with our own as she realized what was going to happen to her.

_I don't know how much time I just bought you. Just save her. They should be distracted long enough for you to save her._ Her voice broke into a sob. The fear and pain that gripped me was almost crushing.

_No! You don't have to do this. Fight back!_ I cried but we all knew that it was hopeless. We wouldn't be able to get to her in time even though we were already on our way.

"I can kill her just as easily as I can take her, wolf, so I suggest you change back." He threatened viciously.

_Jacob... _She sobbed, sounding more vulnerable than I had ever heard her.

_No!_ We all cried simultaneously when we felt her phase. All of us cried for our sister as we ran faster. We knew there was a good chance that Leah might not live through this. Vampires lost control when they mated, one bite and we would lose her. All had now was the hope that she would be his last victim.

_Don't you fucking dare think that! Damn it, Jacob! Brady, phase back and tell Edward what happened. Let them know what happened and where they are. See if they can get a flight. There's an airport close to us. Leah ran for hours. She was running much slower than we are but it might be faster to fly. _Embry told him, still crying. I was glad he was taking charge for me. The combined emotions from our sister, my imprint and our own were too much. I could barely think. Brady ran back to find his phone and phased just as Seth phased into a wolf. He just had another episode of frantic worry and he was bombarded by our own worry the moment he phased. It took him a minute to make sense of what was happening.

_Leah! Oh my God! Leah. How could she do this?! Oh my God, why is this happening? _His pain was overwhelming. He still in California. Running with Carlisle and Esme behind him. They were on the phone but I couldn't hear them. It was only a few minutes before Brady turned back.

_Seth, Edward said to phase back. You are never going to make it on time by running. They need you, Esme and Carlisle on a flight. They already got a private jut for you but since you left your ID at home you need to sneak in got it! _Seth had already changed directions when Carlisle and Esme changed their course.

_Yeah, what are they planning? Will they get to them in time?_

_Edward and the rest of them also got a jet. Don't ask me how. It's faster than a commercial flight but it will still take them almost 2 hours. That should give you guys plenty of time to get to Wally's and find their trail. They said the cell phone was still by some diner off highway 2. They think she was hunting in Sun Lakes State Park._

_Got it. Keep in contact with them. I want to know what's happening._

_Ok. _

We ran faster than we ever had before but it still didn't seem fast enough. We ran for almost 15 minutes when I felt someone phase and I nearly stumbled when I realized it was Leah. She didn't say anything. Her mind still a clutter of painful images. The rape, some little girl, Nessie at the door, all the images seem to come at once and her emotions in turmoil because she was so worried over Nessie. By the time her eyes focused, it was too late. The bastard that raped my beta had sunken his teeth into my imprint, ripping her flesh.

_No!_ I wasn't sure if it was her or me that screamed but she was already on him and she tore his arm in one swift move. Nessie used the distraction and started ripping the arm that was holding her captive. I had never seen her look more like a vampire. She ripped his arm easily but she didn't realize what that meant. The leech was now free to move and attack Leah, who had been moving in to attack his side at the same moment. He bent over and bit into Leah's back. I heard Nessie's frantic horrified scream, _"No!"_, and then it was silent. Leah was gone and so were our final drops of hope.

* * *

**Renesmee**

I wasn't prepared for the scene that was before me. I opened the door and I saw my best friend laying on a small bloody bed, immobilized by her attacker. Beside the bed, a shaking small girl, a hybrid who looked like she was about 5 human years, was holding one of Leah's hands in her own and was covering her eyes with her other tiny hand. Levan turned to me but before he could paralyze me, my gift exploded again. My gift distracted him and I jumped on his back from across the room. He was more focused and skilled than Ramon and he easily flung himself back, smashing me against the wall then he turned around and ripped out a chunk of my shoulder as he broke the bone in the arm he was holding. It all happened within a matter of seconds so I barely had time to process it but when the pain hit me, it was excruciating. I had never felt pain like that before. I was stunned by it, but luckily Leah had already phased into a wolf and started tearing his free arm. I recovered from the shock of the pain and bit into his other arm ripping it easily; however, at that same moment, Leah approached him again. It all happened so fast. As I finished ripping his arm he used that momentum to bend his torso enough to bite into Leah's back.

"No!" I screamed out for Leah in horror. She had immediately phased back to he human form and was screaming in pain, frantic. Levan was still biting into her. Willing my pain away, I let my physical and emotional pain explode out of me and onto him again. This time he groaned as if he were in physical pain letting go of Leah. The moment he let go of Leah, I used the opportunity and I sank my teeth into his neck effectively ripping his head off.

"Leah!" I knelt next to her and started to suck out the venom as best I could.

"Let me help!" The little girl said.

"Venom is lethal to wolves. I have to get it out!"

"I can do it!" The girl yelled at me. Leah had stopped screaming and the girl immediately put her hand on Leah, instantly coagulated blood and venom started to spill out of the wound.

"You're a healer."

"Yes." She confirmed and I saw the last of the venom and fresh blood poured out as the wound began to heal.

"Her blood smells clean. Leah? Her heart is still beating. Leah! Wake up! Why isn't it working?!"

"I don't know. This never happened before." She said as the tears rolled down.

"Are there more of them?"

"No. Just Ramon and Levan." She said it with some emotion I couldn't pinpoint.

"Is one of those monsters your father?"

"No!" She said sharply. "They killed my daddy. When they found out about my powers, they told him they would wait until I grew older to make me useful and it made my daddy angry. When he tried to escape with me the one called Levan froze him and then... and then... "

"How did he find you? Is he a tracker?" I started taking Leah's vitals as she spoke. I was confused by her story. Ramon said he could sense me before but I seriously doubted that his gift was tracking hybrids.

"I don't know what that is but Ramon senses powers, even in humans. He said that's how he knew that my mother would have a baby with a power. He doesn't know what the power is but he can sense the something. He gets a feeling, at least that's what he said." She looked down at her hands regretfully almost pained. "He can sense the power from far away. That's how he found me and daddy. Daddy didn't have powers, he was very old, but I have powers, so, they found us. Ramon killed him. He said if I wanted to live that I had to help him." Her voice broke. Tears flowed down her cheeks and landed on her little hands, which she was now staring at with disgust. I shuddered with guilt and remorse as I became aware of how they found me and Leah. My 's vitals were stable to I turned my attention to the girl. I felt myself wanting to protect her. I held on to that feeling so that I didn't fall apart. There was no time to fall apart.

"Help him how?" I asked her. She began crying, this time.

"I didn't want to help him hurt those women. He made me do it every time. He said he would kill me like he killed them. I didn't want to… I'm not bad!" I began shaking in rage, as I understood what she meant. I let go of Leah and I took her in my arms, protectively.

Vampires have a hard time controlling their strength in bed. They would have mutilated those women before any of them could get pregnant. Levan froze the women, so that Ramon could concentrate on not killing them while he raped them. Even with Levan paralyzing them it had to be difficult. Levan could hold him back from killing them but he would not have been able to keep Ramon from crushing their bones during the act. Ramon would have made many mistakes during the event and she healed them in so that the women could survive it. They made her heal the women as they raped them. How could they do this? She was so young. Too young! I started shaking. Not from fear but from rage. As much as I wanted to fall apart, I knew that I had to stay strong I had to protect her. I had to protect them both.

"We have to burn the bodies vampires aren't really dead until they've burned." I took Levan's head and I ran to the room where I had left Ramon. The little girl followed me. I realized I hadn't asked for her name yet but I was too busy worrying about the possibility of Ramon's body reattaching in the other room. When I entered, I was relieved to see his head was still severed but his body was moving closer to the head, dragging itself, trying to become whole. I almost wanted to allow it so that I could rip him apart again but the pain on my arm and shoulder and the little girl next to me reminded me that I couldn't. I took his head by the hair and headed towards the door. If this was a lumber mill, they had to have an incinerator somewhere.

"Where do they burn the bodies?" I asked her, knowing that if they were killing human women they had to have gotten rid of the evidence somehow.

"I don't know. I never left my room."

"Go stay with Leah. Don't leave her alone. I'll be back in a few minutes." I went up the stairs using my smell to find what I was looking for. The smell of burnt human body was distinct. I had no difficulty finding it. I tuned it on and threw the heads into the fire. I headed back down for the rest of the body parts and burned them too. I instantly felt better. I was still alert but my brain also knew that there was no one else coming for us. I had to gain control of the situation so that I could get help for Leah. I couldn't allow myself to freeze in panic again. I had to figure out how to get us back home.

* * *

**Alice**

I have never concentrated so hard in my life. Not even when I was trying to find Nahuel. I looked for the damn blind spots but I still couldn't locate them. Damn it! This is my niece. My beautiful little niece who I saw grow up with my very eyes, who I held in my arms when she was a baby. Why can't I see her? What stronger connection could there be than that?! Jasper took my hand kissing it and I felt a wave of calm. The others were still in their seats waiting for this wrenched flight to take us to my niece's last location. They were worried, hopeless, grieved but somehow they were less restless than I was. I wasn't used to these types of emotions. I've never really had to worry about what might happen because I've always known. 'It was too late for Leah', Edward had said, 'but we might make it in time to save Nessie'. I tried to hold on to that hope, praying, with all my might, that my niece could make it through. I felt such a desperate need to know if she would be ok and suddenly a vision appeared in my head. I felt Jasper hold on to me tighter as Edward took my other hand.

_She was in a field, back in Forks, sitting on the ground with Daisy spread across her lap. She was staring into space. Tears silently spilled down her cheeks. Jasper made a move towards her but I held him back. I walked towards her at human speed and sat next to her. I stoked her hair away from her face and she looked at me. The sadness in her eyed overwhelmed me._

_"This is all my fault. My best friend was raped and might die because of me." She whispered sounding like the little girl she was yet looking like a woman who just survived the fires of hell. It tore me to see that the innocence her eyes once had was now gone._

_"She will live through this." I said with absolute certainty in my voice. _

_"Why did this happen to me? To her? Why do the people I love get hurt?" _

_"As much as I try to predict the future there are some things that I can't prevent. I don't know why this happened but I do know one thing."_

_"What?"_

_"None of it was your fault. You saved her. You saved all of them. **You** did." She wrapped her arms around my waist and started crying. I wrapped my arms around her and stroked her hair._

Then it was gone. I looked into Edwards face. His eyes were tight but I saw that hope there. He wrapped his arms around me and I smiled. My niece would be ok. Leah was hurt but I knew that she would live.

"What is it? Damn it your two! What did you see?" I heard Bella behind us and Edward released me.

"I saw Nessie." I told her smiling. Hope slowly replacing over the worry and gloom I felt before.

"You saw her? How?"

"I don't know but she will be ok. She will save Leah and we will have her home. I saw myself talking to her. She was sad but she was safe."

"Alice..." She hugged me pulling me out of chair. I felt a bit claustrophobic when Emmett hugged me but it was nothing compared to the awkward hug from Rose. Edward was already on the phone with Carlisle. He was getting medical arrangements made for Leah. They were going to make it and that's all that mattered.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Renesmee**

When I was done I headed back and I noticed another heartbeat coming from a different room. Thant's when I remembered that there were two rapid heartbeats when they first brought us to this horrid place. I could smell the blood before I opened the door. Inside I saw an empty room with some dirty bloody sheets on the floor. I looked in the blankets to see a small hybrid baby looking back at me. He could only be a few days old but his eyes were already wide and knowing. They looked like Ramon's eyes only they were hazel green instead of red. He looked up at me in fear as I picked him up with my good arm.

"You're safe now." His eye's still looked unsure. I went back to the room to find Leah and I saw that the little girl had wrapped her in a blanket. She looked back and forth, once, between me and the baby, her eyes pleading.

"Don't hurt him please! He was born a few days ago. Before they left to get more women. It's not his fault!"

"I'm one of you. I would never hurt you. How's Leah?"

"The same. Her heart is beating so she is alive. Maybe she's just sleeping." She looked doubtful. I was touched to see the worry in her eyes. She didn't even know Leah and she already cared for her.

"Maybe. What are your names?"

"My name is Evangeline. Daddy called me Eve. That's Chris. He's Ramon's son." She whispered the last part regretfully.

"I'm Renesmee. You can call me Nessie, that's what my family calls me."

"Family? You have a daddy too?"

"Yes. I also have a mother. My daddy turned her after she gave birth to me. I also have grandparents, aunts and uncles. Some of them share my blood which means they are blood related like you and your father and some don't, like Leah and myself. But they are still my family. Do you want to see?"

"See how?"

"Just take my hand and I can show you." She took my hand without any hesitation.

I showed them both my first memories. I showed them my birth, my first few days of life and how much my family loved me. I then showed them each of my family members one by one, introducing their names and their relationship to me with my mental voice. Then I pulled back my thoughts as they stared at me mesmerized.

"Not all vampires are evil." I told them. "My family loves me and take care of me just like a human family. They don't hurt humans. They drink animal blood. My grandfather even has enough control to be a doctor. He's a healer too only he heals humans using medicine and tools. He's never hurt any of the humans he's tried to help, even when they are gushing in blood."

"That's amazing! I didn't know we could do that." She said sadly. I could see the remorse on her face, possibility because she thought of the victims she had taken.

"You didn't know sweetie. All you can do now is move forward. Here, take Chris. I'm going to get Leah and then we'll get out of here. I need to get her to my grandfather so that he can figure out how to wake her."

"Nessie? Chris and I haven't fed in a while. They were gone for some days."

"I'll get you something in the forest. I don't want to stay here any longer." The idea of staying there the night made me shudder. I leaned to get Leah but I was having trouble getting a hold of her with only one good arm. Eve put her hand on my shoulder.

"Let me heal you." I could feel the ligaments and muscle regenerate; my broken bones, set back into place.

"You're amazing. Maybe _you_ could be a doctor someday." I told her. I could tell that she liked that idea.

We headed to the forest. I found a clearing and instructed them to wait with Leah while I hunted. I made sure to instruct them not to touch Leah, especially Chris because he was venomous. I found two deer and I grabbed both trying my best to keep them alive so the blood would be warm for them. When I arrived, they approached the deer and smelled them. I could tell they were disappointed but they both fed anyway. As they drank, I sat back against a tree. I was exhausted. I hadn't realized how late it was or how tired I was. I started a fire with some dry wood and a half worn lighter that I was lucky enough to find in the mill on our way out.

"We have a few hours until sunrise so I think you two better rest and we'll continue in the morning. I'll stay up and watch, ok?" They had both finished drinking so Eve took Chris and she sat next to me. I took the baby and she laid her head on my lap. I was also tiered but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep so a long rest would have to do.

"Nessie? Could you tell us more about your family? Will they still like me even though I hurt people before?"

"They will love you and yes, I can tell you more tomorrow. For now, just rest." I rubbed her arm and she snuggled closer to me. I started singing the lullaby my father wrote for me and they fell asleep.

As I watched them sleep, I went over the list of things we had to do in the morning. I had to find a phone to call my family. I needed to steal a car but I also needed to steal clothing that would hide my face or the cops would stop me as soon as they saw a 14 year old at the wheel. I really should try to do all those things before sunrise but I was too drained. I needed to allow the animal blood that I just drank regenerate me. I also needed to sleep but that wasn't an option. It was still dark when I heard someone running in the distance. He was headed straight for us.

"Eve get up! Someone is coming! Take Chris and climb up this tree to the very top. When I tell you I want you to jump from tree to tree through the forest until you are far away from here. The wind will blow your scent into the surrounding trees and it will distract them."

"Oh... Ok." She said shaking.

"Look at me." I told her and she did. "I will not let them hurt you. I will not let anyone hurt you." I meant every word. She nodded her little head and Chris grabbed her collar hold on to her.

"Ok." She told me and climbed up the tree with Chris. I still felt weak but I also felt fierce. I had already killed two vampires, one more wasn't going to be a problem. I kept this in mind as I looked at Leah.

"I can do this Leah. I won't let anyone hurt you. I won't fail you again."

I ran towards the intruder. I could tell there was only one. I was aware that if it was my family there would be more than one person running so I started getting scared. I braced myself and prepared for the attack when the familiar sent hit me.

"Daddy..." I said and I ran faster at vampire speed towards the runner. I had forgotten that he was faster than the others, certainly faster than me so it was only a moment and I was wrapped in his protective arms.

"Daddy!" I sobbed.

"Shh... I'm here sweetheart. You're safe, my angel. You're safe." His voice sounded hoarse and he hiccupped as if he were crying, if he could.

I wasn't sure how long he held me. We both heard a howl break in the air followed by the soft sound of running supernatural beings. They were still at a distant. I didn't have time to wait.

"Daddy, Leah!" I sobbed again. "Daddy something is wrong with Leah!" He held me tight for another moment and then he let me go to run towards my unconscious best friend. He began taking her vitals instantly.

"You can come down." I told the children, tears still streaming down my eyes. They came down but they stayed close to me.

"What's wrong with her daddy?"

"I don't know, love. I can't even read her thoughts but she is breathing, her pupillary response is normal, her vitals are stable..." He was palpating her chest and stomach when I caught the scent of my mother, uncle Emmett, aunt Rose, Embry and _Jacob_.

"Momma!" I ran back into the woods and collapsed into her arms after a moment.

"Renesmee! My baby, are you ok? Did they hurt you?!" She asked sobbing, then she kissed my face several times before I could answer. I felt my aunt and uncle embrace us both, unable to wait for momma to release me. Uncle Emmett let me go first, after kissing my hair and aunt Rose also backed away but not completely. Her hand rested on my arm as if she was making sure I was still there. She was always very protective. A second mother.

"I'm not hurt, momma." I answered carefully. Jacob emerged from behind the trees and momma finally let go. He swooped me into his arms, hot tears streaming down his cheeks. He was shaking, crying into my neck as I cried into his. I knew why Jacob was crying. I heard my mother's tearless sobs and my aunt's hiss further behind us. They were with Leah.

"You saw what happened to her?" I asked him and he nodded into my shoulder.

"I tried to stop them. I just... I'm so _sorry_." My voice broke. He immediately turned me so that I was looking at him.

"Do not apologize. This is NOT your fault. Do you understand me?" His eyes were so fierce that I lost my voice, so I nodded. He gave me an apologetic look then he placed a kiss between my furrowed brows, effectively smoothing them, before he set me on my feet. He wiped his tears with one hand and took my hand with the other.

We walked over to the clearing. Dad had Leah in his arms. Embry was next to him, staring helplessly at her. I hadn't even noticed him pass by us before. He saw us and walked towards me to take my free hand. He smiled at me sadly, trying to portray sympathy but his expression was too pained to accomplish it. He turned back to my father. "I'll let them know we're coming." He told him and let go of me to phase back into wolf form. Jacob and I both looked at my father, questioning.

"She's stable but I can't get her to wake up. There's a possibility that her system might be in shock. Maybe some part of her consciousness has shut down in order to process what happened. I can't be sure until we do a thorough examination."

"So what do we do? Do we go to a hospital?"

"No. Too many questions. She's stable so we're going back to the airport and then to Forks. Jasper and Alice are getting a helicopter set up so that we can just go straight home. Carlisle, Esme, and Seth are already in Forks setting up the medical room there. Emmett, you need to stay behind to clean any evidence. We can't risk any humans wondering in there and seeing blood or human remains. I'll have Jasper come back to help as soon as we get to the airport."

"You got it bro. I'll take care of it." He told him. There was anger in his voice. He looked like he was on a mission.

"Let's go then." Jacob told everyone.

Aunt Rose had little Chris in her arms. Eve instantly took my hand and I took her in my arms.

"I can carry her sweetheart. You're tiered." Momma reached out his arms for Eve.

"Is that ok?" I asked her. She looked at me as if trying to gage my level of fatigue then she nodded and reached for my mother. Momma smiled and took her in his arms, cradling her like he did with me only a few years back. Jacob then took me in his arms. I let his scent and his warmth soothe me as we set running through the forest. I shivered ad I thought about the fact that only a few hours ago I had been running throughout the forest in very different arms. How different were these arms from the ones who held me before.

"Shh. I'm here. You're safe." He said as his lips grazed my head before he kissed it.

It wasn't long before we got to the airport. The moment we arrived I was in my aunt Alice's arms.

"Nessie! We've been so worried. My beautiful girl. I am so happy you're ok." She said. I smiled or at least attempted to smile. My uncle stared at me with a mix of emotions across his face. He was struggling to control all the emotions around him but then his face changed drastically as I tuned to face him and he saw my shoulder. Eve's gift allowed her to heal wounds but even she could not get rid of the scar left behind by the venom. He stroked the skin on my shoulder with his thumb. Tears started welling in my eyes again because I knew that he was the only one who could feel what I did. He grabbed me abruptly into a hug almost crushing me. He was almost panting. Daddy put his hand on my uncle's back to soothe him.

"It's ok Jasper. I need you to go help Emmett clear the evidence. I don't want to give Aro any reason to come here if the humans find that place." Daddy told him as he patted his back. My uncle had to deal with his feelings and all of ours as well. Uncle Jasper let me go. His face was still struggling with all the emotion around him. I tried smiling again hoping it would help but it was useless. He knew it was fake.

"We'll be back home soon." He told me, then he turned to kiss aunt Alice and he left. Dad and the others were already in the private helicopter. Jacob had been patently waiting for me. He took my hand and we entered the plane with aunt Alice and my father. I was relieved that we were finally going home.

* * *

**Esme**

I felt completely despaired and useless. Leah had become a part of our family, almost like an adopted daughter. I already had one daughter who was raped and killed. To have two daughters raped and a granddaughter molested was more than anyone could bare. There were already three wolves waiting for us when we arrived to the Forks house, Quill, Brady and Sam. Sam's face was hard and furious. Like Seth, he wanted to be out there rescuing Leah but, unlike Seth, he would rather not be around us. He looked so uncomfortable being in our presence.

It was early morning. No one else knew what happened. As the boys went with Carlisle to get the rest of the needed medical equipment, I went to get Sue and Charlie. By the time we arrived with them some more wolves had come with some imprints. We all sat in the living room to wait for the helicopter to arrive. I held on to Sue as Seth explained what Edward told us. I could tell that Sam was troubled by my closeness to Sue but at that moment I didn't care about his comfort. I have already been through this once and I had a very good idea of what she was feeling, what she needed. Sam took deep breaths throughout Seth's explanation as Charlie and I held on to poor Sue. I was glad Emily was with Sam to keep him calm; however, she looked just as bad as Sue. Anna was in the corner sofa next to Carol, tears silently streaming down their eyes. Billy was in a corner next to Rachel, he was holding on to his daughter's hand as tears spilled down her on eyes. Paul stood next to them furiously staring at the wall and trembling on occasion as did Jared. They also seemed uncomfortable being in our home. Seth knelt before his mother and explained what he had seen in his wolf form. When Seth finished explaining, Carlisle stepped up to talk to everyone. I smiled at him to reassure him but I knew he was as pained about this as me.

"Edward has done a preliminary evaluation. Leah is stable but he can't get her to wake up. I am getting everything ready so that I can run some tests to see exactly why she cannot awaken. Edward suspects..." Carlisle took a deep breath. Seth already knew the words that were about to come, as did I. We both held on to Sue a little tighter. "Edward suspects that her current state is related to the fact that she is pregnant." There was a sudden silence which was ended by Sam's furious voice.

"What?! That fucking leech got her pregnant?!" Sam yelled at my husband. He was shaking furiously. Brady stepped closer to him and Emily stood back making me very nervous for my husband.

"He can hear, something that seems like second heartbeat and her abdomen is slightly swollen. If its a baby, the child is growing even faster than Nessie did. Once we confirm it, we'll plan our next course of action." He told them calmly. Sue was getting more upset and I could tell Seth was furious.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! You get that damn thing out of her, do you understand me? I am not going to allow that thing to..."

"What the hell is you problem?" Seth leaped forward looking so furious that I would have thought it was Paul pushing Sam back into the wall.

"You really think that she deserves to have some leech grow inside of her and then kill her? That thing comes from the bastard that raped her!" Sam yelled back, just as viciously.

"My sister would never get rid of her baby and you know it!"

"You can't possibly think that I'll just sit here and allow this thing to grow inside her and kill her." Sam growled into Seth's face. There was a moment of silence as both men stared at each other in rage.

"Then leave." Everyone turned their heads in shock when they heard Emily's quiet pained voice. Her words were quiet but strong.

"What?" Sam's voice had lowered and his face had gone from furious to shock in an instant.

"How can you talk about her baby that way? After everything that she's been through..." Her voice broke. She paused for a moment then she continued. "You've been in her head. You know more than anyone that she would want to have that baby no matter what the father is."

"Its going to kill her Em. I can't let a leech kill her after everything we've all been though." He told her sadly.

"She was already willing to die for one of them. Do you really think she wouldn't die for one that is a part of her?" She said referring to Leah's sacrifice for my precious granddaughter. I don't think eternity will be long enough to show Leah how grateful we are for what she did.

"Em, I'm sorry, I just can't..."

"Stop!" She told cut him off by holding her hand up. Her voice wasn't angry. It sounded more like a sob- pained and heartbroken. "None of us need this right now and certainly not Leah. I will not have you bring your hatred into my cousin's life or her baby's. That baby is a part of me, a part of all of us." She looked at Sue and Seth as if trying to make sure she hadn't offended them with her claim to the baby. They looked grateful, even proud. She turned back to the man she loved and looked at him as if her decision was resolved.

"Go home Sam. You're not coming back to this house until you are ready to support Leah and her baby. Same goes for anyone else who has a problem with this baby." She told the rest of the wolves but her eyes were on Sam. Then, as if to answer some question he had yet to ask, she said.

"I'm staying here to help in any way I can. I'll have someone take me home when I'm ready to leave." She walked closer to her aunt. I left my spot so that she could sit next to Sue. She looked as me kindly and then she sat next to her aunt. Sue took her hand and whispered a quiet 'Thank you' as Sam left. Even though I was angry at Sam, he looked so hurt that I felt sorry for him. They were all so young, too young to have to go through what they have been through. I wrapped my arms around my husband, glad that he was out of danger.

"I know it must have been very difficult to do what you just did. Leah is very lucky to have you." Carlisle told her. I could see that he was quite proud of her. I was too.

"All Leah needs right now is our love and support." She said sadly. Charlie got up and approached us. Seth took the opportunity to sit next to his mother who started sobbing quietly into his shoulder.

"Why does Sam think she's going to die?" Charlie asked us quietly. I saw the other wolves look at my husband. They were looking for hope.

"The person who raped Leah is _different_, like me. It is very difficult to carry children who are like me and my family. That is why Bella had to change when Nessie was born. The problem is that Leah doesn't have that option because she is already _different_." Charlie nodded as if he understood so Carlisle continued.

"We didn't know anything about children like Nessie when Bella was pregnant. I don't think it would have changed the outcome, if we did, but I have learned a lot from Bella and from the other children we have encountered that are like Nessie. Leah is physically a lot stronger than Bella was when she was pregnant. I think Leah has a good chance of survival, I just hope that she wakes up from this comatose state after the baby is out safely." There was almost a visible shift after my husband's words. I could see that they were relieved at some good news within all of this horror.

"How is Nessie?" Charlie asked.

"Edward said that she is struggling. She feels responsible for what happened and she has become very protective over Leah. That's why he doesn't want to tell her about the possible pregnancy until they get here." Carlisle told him.

"Was she...?" Charlie stopped, unable to complete his question but we knew what he wanted to know.

"No. She wasn't rapped but that monster tried. She had to fight him off and then she went after the one that had Leah. She saved her." Carlisle took another deep breath and I buried my head into his arm trying to push out that horrific images that had formed in my head when Edward told us what happened.

"She's very fragile, right now. I have no doubts that she's also been traumatized by this event. She's going to need our support, too. They both will." Charlie nodded. The tears that welled in his eyes were spilling freely. He wiped them with the palm of his hand and turned towards the door.

"I need some air." He said and he walked out the door.

"I'm going to get breakfast started." I announced quietly.

"I'll help." I heard Rachel say as I walked past her. She walked behind me into the kitchen and started taking out eggs from the fridge. Rachel and I were not close but there was one thing that united all of us, something much stronger than our differences. We were united by love.


	10. Chapter 10

**This chapter is new, so please review! :-) But seriously... Please review and let me know what you think. It keeps me motivated to post things often instead of once a month like other stories.**

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Renesmee **

My anxiety for Leah had increased by the time we got to the house. She wasn't waking, daddy couldn't read her and I was going mad with worry. The moment we arrived in the property I was in my grandmother's arms. I saw my grandfather opening the door for Daddy who took Leah strait upstairs before the rest of us even entered the house. My grandfather came towards us and hugged me tightly kissing the top of my head several times. Grandpa had grown up in a different era so it was rare for him to show affection so openly and publicly.

"I'll come to check on you later. Go in and get some rest."

"I want to help with Leah." I told him quickly.

"I know but I need you to trust us. The best way to help her is to let us do what we are trained to do." Grandpa told me sternly but kindly.

"Ok."

"Then take a shower, get some rest and leave the rest to us." He turned to the others who were standing by us and gave them a look that said 'make sure she does as I say'.

"There is some donor blood in the kitchen. Make sure the little ones some get some rest after they drink." He told grandma. Chris was still in aunt Rose's arms and Eve was standing between my mother and aunt Alice. Grandma approached her slowly and crouched before her. Eve looked at her feet which were bare. Grandma gently moved some of the hair that was covering her face so that Eve would look at her. Momma was already standing by me watching the exchange. We both saw Eve smile shyly as my grandmother.

"You are safe here." She told her. Eve finally looked at her and then she did something that surprised me. Eve hugged her. She had been distrustful from the beginning so I was shocked by how quickly she took to my grandmother, but I shouldn't have been. My grandmother has a way of making everyone love her and I couldn't help my own love for her spill over when I showed her my visions. Grandma quickly gathered her in her arms and stroked her hair.

"Let's get the all of you fed and cleaned." She said.

The house was full by the time we got there and I never felt so uncomfortable around the people who loved me. Grandpa Charlie walked over to me with his emotions clear on his face. He too was a man of few public displays of emotion but he took me into his arms, allowing his tears to spill. Jacob left my side for a moment to hug Sue. Grandpa let me go and grandma Sue took me into her arms.

"You saved her. You saved her." Was all she said. It was like a wrecking ball against a damn to hear her praise me. My self-loathing and guilt flooded out of me, through my skin, and she stiffened.

"I'm sorry." I said quickly. "They were after me, not her."

"Renesmee, you listen to me and you listen well. My daughter is up there because some maniac, monster hurt her, not because of you."

"He wanted me. Why did she tell them to take her?"

"Because she loves you. Because she is strong enough to survive this. Don't you dare feel guilty for something as brave and heroic as what my daughter did. Be proud and glad that you were able to save her when you did. None of this was your fault." I wanted to feel comforted by her words but the comfort never came. I needed Leah to be ok. I needed to hear those words from her. I nodded and she hugged me once more before she let me go to get changed.

I saw momma mouth a thank you to Grandma Sue as we went upstairs with Aunt Alice and Jacob. I went up to Aunt Alice's bathroom to bathe and change. Jacob waited for me in the room. My mother and Aunt Alice helped wash my hair. I let them do it, not because I couldn't but because they needed it to take care of me and I needed to feel taken care of. They let me dry myself while Aunt Alice brought some clothes for me. For once she didn't choose designer fashions. Instead, she brought a pair of jeggins, flats and a long knit sweater. They were comfort clothes. Once I was dressed I went into her room and saw Jacob and Anna waiting for me on the bed. Anna's eyes were rimmed with tears. I could hear aunt Rose bathing Chris across the hall. Jacob reached out his hand for mine and I conceded.

"Come on. Let's get some rest." He told me as he guided me to the bed. Anna was already pulling the sheets.

"I'm not going to sleep. I'm waiting downstairs for them to finish." I said. My voice was monotone. I knew I was exhausted but I also knew there was no way I would get any sleep.

"Renesmee, please rest." Momma pleaded with me. "I'll come and wake you when they're done with Leah."

"No." I told them but it held no force behind it. Momma and Jacob looked at each other. I looked at Anna who gave me a sad but sympathetic smile. Jacob sighed and he picked me up bridal style and headed downstairs. He took me to the only spare couch and sat us. I hadn't looked at anyone in the room, not sure if I would be able to handle their looks but I did see Anna come back down and sit next to Brady. They were holding hands which made me snuggle up to Jake even more.

I was curled on Jacob's lap when momma came over with some blood. I shook my head. She sighed and placed the cup on the coffee table. Momma sat next to Jacob and picked up my legs so that they could rest on her lap. She rested her head on Jacobs shoulder and snuggled closer to both of us. He put his arm around her to bring her closer to us and then he rested his cheek on my head which had been tucked into his neck. There, in that nook amidst the stark hot and cold, I unwillingly fell asleep.

* * *

**Jacob**

I could feel her anxiety get worst and worst throughout the entire damn helicopter ride. Edward keep eyeing her but he didn't say anything. I was so worried about them both. Edward took Leah inside so quickly that I didn't get a chance to ask him about Leah. He kept giving Nessie vague answers but I could tell he was hiding something. I knew that leech long enough to tell when he was lying. I wanted to go check on Leah while Ness was in the shower but I wanted to be there when she got out. It was physically painful to be that far from her even when she was only a room away.

I was disappointed that she refused to rest but I knew that it was a stupid attempt to begin with so I grabbed my girl and I took her downstairs to wait for the doc. Nessie had hidden her face in my neck and it worried me. She wasn't one to shy away from people when there was trouble. I had her sit on my lap and I held her protectively. I could see my pack and some members from Sam's pack are doing different things around the house. Some were playing cards. Others were reading magazines, some of the younger ones were watching tv. Everyone was doing something but I could tell none of them were into what they were doing. I was the most surprised that Emily was here without Sam. In fact, where the hell was he? I know for a fact that he would want to be here for Leah and he would never leave Emily in this house without him.

I was wondering what happened to him when Bella returned with some blood for Nessie. She refused, of course. Bella sat next to us and snuggled so that she could get close to her daughter. I knew she was worried and wanted to comfort her but I also knew that she needed comfort too. I wrapped my arm around her and brought her closer to us. My pack didn't even blink, they were used to stuff like this, but I could see some of Sam's pups fidget uncomfortably when they saw us. It almost made me want to kick them out. They only saw the bloodsucker. They couldn't see the worried mother, or broken best friend that I saw when I looked at Bella. Nessie was asleep, finally. I kissed Nessie's head bringer her closer to me and then I kissed Bella's too.

"I'm so worried about her Jake. And Leah… Gosh, this is such a mess." Bella whispered.

"It's going to be ok Bells. They're both alive and safe. That's all that matters." I kissed Nessie again. Having her in my arms was such a comfort. My brain was still trying to process everything the happened. Those images of Leah being rapped were going to haunt me for the rest of my existence. I couldn't even imagine something like that happening to my Nessie. Almost on cue, Nessie's body stiffened and I saw my worst nightmare come alive only much worst because it was real. All I had time to process was that Bella gasped before I saw the memory.

_He approached me slowly before he stopped in front of me smiling in such a way that it made me shiver in fear._

_"You might be too young but you are a beautiful girl. No reason why I can't have a little taste of what's to come." He said cynically. The combination of anger and fear that surged inside me was overwhelming. I prayed with every fiber of my being that Jacob or someone would magically appear to rescue us but I knew that it wouldn't happen. No one would come for us, at least not in time to stop this._

_It was only a second before he had me pinned to the wall. I remembered how only a few weeks ago I had thought the man I feared most was Jacob. I was wrong. He held both of my arms with one hand above me while his pelvis pinned my lower body. I was trembling, still shocked by the sudden movement and terrified by the evil in his eyes. I felt his hardness against me and I screamed. He silenced me by smashing his cold hard lips against mine. My first kiss I thought miserably. I could feel the bile rise in my throat but he released me and I choked on my own vomit._

_"Hush beautiful. Like we said, this can all be very civilized." He smiled sadistically._

_"It doesn't mean I'll be gentle but it doesn't have to be savage." He informed me as he touch my breast through my clothes. His lips grazed my neck and he kissed it. Hard enough to cause me pain._

_"Your skin tastes amazing. I wonder what other parts of you taste good." He said as he unbuttoned my pants and I felt his hand touch the skin of my lower belly. As his hand lowered, I felt his teeth pierce my skin and his venom entered my bloodstream. That's when everything changed. A rush of adrenaline as well as a pure unadultered panic and hatred spread throughout my body. My vision had turned red as I felt the familiar surge I felt when my power was about to kick in but this time it was more powerful than ever before. He held my hands captive above my head but I didn't need them. The power somehow exploded out of me and poured itself directly onto him. I felt all the fear, horror, and pain radiate out of me in one swift instant._

* * *

**Renesmee**

I was awakened by the shaking and screaming. I was sure some screams were my own but some belonged to the people around me. I looked around and everyone was staring at me and some were crying, others were shocked, others were shaking their heads as if trying to shake away some awful image. Daddy was crouching next to me.

"Go outside Jacob."

"I'm fine!" He snapped at him. I got out of his lap and looked at him. He looked as if he was about to phase.

"What happened?" I asked. I knew I was having a nightmare but I didn't know what happened to make everyone panic.

"You had a nightmare and you projected it. It got powerful towards the end of it. You projected your pain too." I watched in horror at all the angry and concerned faces around me.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered and I ran up the stairs to my bedroom on the top floor. I couldn't breathe. It was bad enough that I had to live through that, but to have the other's see it too was unbearable. Daddy walked in through the door and hugged me.

"I'm fine daddy. You should be with Leah. She needs you."

"Leah is in good hands." He told me as he stoked my hair. I don't know why but the action made my traitorous tears spill from my eyes.

"I didn't mean for anyone to see that."

"They know love. They know."

"Why did this happen to us? How did they know to come after me? Why do they always come after me?"

"Renesmee, enough! This isn't your fault. From what I can gather those two had been planning this for a long time. They were looking for someone like you."

"But how did they find me? Do I have such bad luck that any vampire that can harm me just happens to stumble my way? Its like I'm destined to bring danger to everyone around me." I asked him. I was thinking about Irina and how the same thing happened with her. She came to visit us and happen to stumble upon me hunting with my mother and Jake.

"What happened with Irina was different. She was coming here to see us so and saw you. She would have seen you whether you were at the house or out playing and she would have still reported it to the Volturi regardless. She wanted vengeance. She didn't care that she would be hurting us in the process." He scolded. The he took a breath to calm himself. "Your uncles called earlier to tell me that the police found two dead women only a few states form where you were. Their deaths coincide with the time we were at the airport. Those two were looking for you, Renesmee. If Ramon could only sense gifts, my guess is that your gift was hidden within all of ours. The moment we left, Ramon had a clear way to track you without any interference. He already had experience tracking a hybrid when he went after Eve and her father so he knew what to look for. If need to blame someone, blame me."

"You? No, daddy this isn't your fault. You didn't know they were looking for me."

"Exactly. This isn't anyone's fault except for those who think they can take whatever they want. They are the ones at fault here, Renesmee. "I nodded. In my head, his words made sense but it didn't make the guilt lessen.

We heard a knock on the door. "Come in ladies." Daddy said. Aunt Rose and momma came in and sat quietly at the foot of the bed. Aunt Rose patted the bed, signaling for me to sit next to her. Daddy led me to the bed to let me sit and then he took her hand. They both shared a look that I rarely ever saw. I had never really seen them like this. Like brother and sister. Aunt Rose smiled at him and he nodded at her and walked out the door. Momma stayed with us. The three of us sat on the bed and after a moment aunt Rose told me her story.

"Do you remember how I became a vampire?" She asked me.

"Some men killed you on your way home from your friend's house. Grandpa found you and turned you." She nodded. Momma came closer to me and aunt Rose. Aunt Rose wasn't close to any of her adopted siblings but her and mom shared a bond that different from anyone else's. Aunt Alice was my mom's best friend but aunt Rose was something different.

"Your dad and I asked her to leave some things out. You were so young when you asked her to tell you her story. But I think you need to hear what really happened, baby." Momma told me. I looked at her confused but I nodded anyway.

"The men in that ally. I knew them. One of them was my fiancé, Royce. Do you remember what I told you about him?" I nodded unsure as to where this was headed.

"He had been out drinking with his friends. He asked me to come meet them so I did. I was sure that he wanted to show me off to them. I was right. He started undressing me in front of them. I screamed, cried, fought, but they didn't stop. All of them came for me at the same time. They beat me, rapped me and then they left me there to die. When Carlisle turned me, all I could think about was returning the favor. I killed all of them, one by on. I left Royce for last. I made sure I killed him slowly. Afterwards I thought it would make me feel better, but it didn't.

"I was angry for a long time. There was no reason for what happened to me. They just saw something they wanted and they took it. Because of them I was gone. I might be immortal but Rosalie Hale and all of her hopes and dreams were dead. I hated immortality, it feel like a curse. It wasn't until I found Emmett that I began to feel better. There's nothing like love to help you heal. Emmett made the pain go away but it still didn't make immortality easier. I needed a different kind of love for that. I needed you. You were everything I always wanted for me and Emmett. You were that dream that I thought I had lost once. I know you're not really my daughter but I still love you like one anyway. The thing that I realized now is that I had that love around me the whole time. Esme, Carlisle, your dad, they were there from the beginning ready to love me but I was too angry to let them in. I mourned for a family but I had one all along. Nessie, all of us want to help you but you need to let us. You have all the love in the world around you but you need to let it heal you. If you don't then you will let those bastards take more than they ever intended to." I let her words sink it but I didn't know how to do what she wanted me to do. I was telling them how I felt, trying to share my pain but I couldn't make the guilt stop. Daddy came into the room then and interrupted us.

"Chris is asking for you Rose. He threw the formula bottle at Emmett's head." He smiled at her.

"This one is going to be a handful." She said as she rolled her eyes. She sounded annoyed but there was no hiding the absolute look of love and happiness when she took Chris into her arms. She kissed my forehead.

"Come find me a little later, ok?" I nodded and she headed out the door. I could tell daddy wanted to tell me something but he seemed uncertain. He looked into my eyes for what seemed like a long time. I wasn't sure what he saw in them but whatever it was he seemed satisfied enough to continue. "Leah is pregnant." He said. I kept staring into his onyx eyes, lost in them. Momma didn't seem surprised by it at all. He already told her. I nodded and stood slowly. I felt very tiered all of a sudden.

"I have to see her." I told him and I got out of the bed.

"No. You have to wait until Carlisle is done examining her. Even Sue isn't allowed in until then."

"Fine." I said softly then I walked out the door. Both my parents followed me as I walked out the door and went downstairs.

I was numb but I welcomed the numbness. Leah needed me and I simply didn't have the luxury to wallow in self-pity. Jacob was sitting on the floor talking to Rachel. He immediately got up and came to me.

"It's gonna be ok." He told me as he took my hand. I could feel the rest of them staring at me. I hated that their looked were so full of concern but this no longer was about me.

"Leah needs us. That's all that matters." I told him. Even I felt the abruptness of my emotions. It was as if I had gone through the seven stages of grief (give or take a few) in a matter of hours. I felt like I was having an out of body experience, it was almost as if I was disconnecting a part of my brain so that I could do what I needed to do. I recognized that it was the same feeling I got after I had saved Leah. It was like an instinct to protect. Daddy looked at me worried but he didn't have to be. I was ready and I would help Leah get through this. Grandpa Carlisle and Seth finally came out of the medical room. Everyone began to gather in the living room again.

"As all of you know, Leah is pregnant. The child was growing at a much faster rate but its starting to slow down. We don't know why. We ran some test and she seems to have normal brain activity but her body is not responding It is my understanding that the child's father had the ability to paralyze his victims so we think that somehow this is all related to that."

"So basically we don't know anything." I tried to keep the annoyance from my voice by staying monotone.

"I'm sorry Nessie. We are going to let the baby gestate until she's at a safe weight to get her out. We will do it by c-section using one of Seth's claw or maybe even his canine. His tooth will be more painful but it will grow back. He's already volunteered."

"She?" Grandma Sue asked.

"We believe that its a girl because males carry the gene for venom. Considering what venom does to wolf blood I doubt that the child will be male." He told her.

"I don't understand. I could still feel, hear, smell, and think when he paralyzed us. It was definitely a mental power but it was limited. Shouldn't daddy be able to hear her?"

"Every gift is different. The child could have the ability to completely block the senses like Alec. Or the baby could be a shield like you mother."

"My gift is able to penetrate mom's shield. Maybe I can communicate with the baby."

"It will be a few weeks before the baby develops the cognitive skills needed to understand what you want her to do."

"You said the baby is developing faster than I did. Please grandpa. Let me try." He looked at grandma Sue and she nodded.

"Ok."

We entered the room. Leah's belly was already swollen with life. Her body was covered by a blanket but I could see that she had a medical gown on. I took a deep breath. I wasn't sure of what to show the baby.

"Try to show her images of Leah. You loved your mom's voice above everything else when you were inside of her." Daddy suggested.

I took his advice and I placed my hand on Leah's belly. I showed her the memory of the first time I went to the beach with Leah, Seth, and Jacob. It had been a great day. We went cliff diving and we had swimming competitions until we saw whales across the distance. I was so excited to see whales. I remembered watching them play in the water. Leah suggested that we get closer so we went to the top of the cliff and watched whales for the rest of the afternoon. It was magical.

I took my hand away praying that it worked but the only thing I saw was the baby move in Leah's belly. I was getting frustrated. I thought of a different memory and I showed it to her. I was my warmest memory of Leah. The only one I had of her in that sense. I remembered the time right after Duilio had left us. I had climbed up the tree to the very top to hide from everyone and their constant worrying. I was so lost in the view that I didn't hear Leah climbing up the tree. It took her several minutes but she finally made it.

_"It's pretty nice up here." She told me as she sat next to me on the branch._

_"This is his favorite spot." I told her._

_"Its hard when you have to say goodbye to your best friend." She told me. I nodded._

_"I lost my best friend once too." She told me. I looked at her and she had a tear in her eye. I was shocked. I had never seen Leah cry._

_"I thought Jakey was your best friend?" I asked confused._

_"Before you were born. Before I was a wolf, my best friend in the whole world was Emily. We were like sisters. You and Duli remind me of us a lot." She said. She was smiling but another tear appeared in her eye._

_"What happened? Emily is still here. Why aren't you friends?"_

_"Before Sam imprinted on Emily, Sam and I were in love. But when he imprinted, everything changed. I loved them both but their love for each other hurt me too much. I went from loving them to hating them, especially Sam. I wanted to rip him apart for what happened. Because of hi damn imprint, I lost two of the most important people in my life. Fate has a way of benefiting some and completely screwing over others. I don't know why fate brought Duilio here and I don't know why he had to leave but at least you two still have a chance of being friends, even if it is from a distance." I nodded, trying to see the upside as she suggested._

_"I'm sorry you lost your friend Leah. Can't you try to be friends with Emily again?"_

_"I wish. But I can't. It's never going to be how it was before anyways." She said sadly. _

_"Maybe fate took our best friends, but it doesn't mean we can't have room for another one. Maybe we can be each other's best friend. If you want." I added shyly. She smiled at me and put her arm around my shoulder._

_"I think I'd like that a lot, plus it will drive your parents crazy!" I giggled and I hugged her. She hugged me back and I realized that was the first time she had done so. _

"Please, let your mom wake up. Please." I begged her. I tried to think back to my gestation period. I could remember most of it but like much of my childhood though my brain was developed it still took me some time to understand what certain things meant, like when I told Eve that I had a family and she automatically assume that I just had a dad. Though my father is my family, if he were my only family I would have said that I also had a father. She didn't know that family mean a mom and a dad and other relatives because she had been locked up in a room and never had an opportunity to lean there terms. I didn't need to show the baby images of people she's never met. I needed to show her something that was more basic, more universal. I needed to show her emotions.

"That's a good idea love. Jasper!" Dad called and uncle Jasper was inside the room within a second.

"Renesmee is going to show the baby some emotions and we need you to keep both her and Leah calm. Make sure they feel our love. Maybe we can make the baby relaxed enough to take down her shield."

Uncle Jasper got closer to the baby and we both got to work. I showed her images of love. The love I felt for Leah and the rest of my family. I showed her huggs, kisses, playing, every loving things that I could think of and I concentrated on the emotions behind it. I could feel uncle Jasper's wave of calm as I showed her the images.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but I felt something strange." He told us and he got closer. "Its like a mix of anxiety and relief coming from this room."

"Do you think you are sensing the baby?"

"No. Its more complex than what a baby would be able to formulate. I think I'm sensing Leah."

"Maybe Leah can see what you are showing her. Nessie, tell her where she is. Try to calm her. You too Jasper." Daddy told us.

I felt a stronger wave of calm permeate the room. I projected my thoughts this time. 'Leah. You are safe. We are at the Forks house. We are trying to get you to wake up.' I told her. The wave of calm was almost making me sleepy.

"She's relieved again. I think she heard you Nessie. She's calming down. She feels safe." We waited for several minutes as I explained to Leah what happned and as uncle Jasper concentrated on calming her. Leah's heartbeat and the baby's heartbeat finally started to calm. I saw Leah's eyes flutter and she took a deep breath.

"Leah!" I hugged so quickly that she almost seemed shocked.

"Nessie! Oh my God. What the hell happened? Are you ok? I had been trying to move for days but I couldn't and... Wow what the fuck is that?!"

She looked down at her swollen stomach and gasped. I felt uncle Jasper's wave of calm hit us again.

"I'm sorry Leah. I wasn't able to get to you on time and he... he..." I stuttered. She looked at me. Her face was horrified and there were tears in her eyes.

"No Leah. Nessie is fine. You saved her and then Eve and Nessie saved you." Daddy explained quickly and got closer to the bed. He took her hand and kissed it. "What you did Leah... words do not exist that can express my gratitude, but thank you for protecting my daughter." Daddy told her. I hugged Leah again and projected my own 'Thank you' along with all the love and appreciating I felt for her.

"I love you too, kid. I would never let anything happen to you. You should know that by now." She told me as I hugged her.

"Who's Eve?" She asked me when I let go.

"She was the little girl that was in the room with you. They made her heal their victim as they..." I stopped, unable to continue.

"Eve? The little girl. Fuck! There was a little girl there. Damn it!" She held the sheets with tight fists and tears were flowing down her cheeks. She was trembling as if she were about to phase.

"Leah I know this is a lot to take in but you need to stay calm for both you and the baby." Grandpa told her alarmed. She looked down at her belly again. Uncle Seth finally approached her bed. He sat next to her and took her hand.

"You're both stable and strong. We've been giving you my blood intravenously to keep you both strong and healthy. I hope you don't mind." He said. Leah took her hand out of his and punched his arm.

"Of course I don't mind." She touched her belly. This time her face had changed. She was sad but there was some emotion in her eyes that I couldn't pinpoint.

"I thought I was gonna die for sure. I never thought this would be possible."

"So you're ok with keeping the baby then?" Uncle Seth asked her.

"Of course I am! I mean, I hate how it happened but somehow it makes it all ok. I guess after screwing me over so many times, fate is finally decided to make something good out of the crap its been shoveling at me." Seth hugged his sister. Daddy went to get grandma Sue. Jacob snuck into the room when he left. He walked over to Leah and gave her a warm hug.

"Don't ever do that to me again." He told her as he stepped back.

"You two look like shit." She told us. Jake laughed as he wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my head.

"Well you look gorgeous." Jake told her.

"A compliment? Now I know shit's bad". She said sarcastically. I looked at my best friend in amazement. For the past two days it seemed like the entire world had fallen out if its axis. Nothing made sense. Seeing Leah so easily look at the bottom line helped me see things into perspective. We survived, Leah was having a baby and I helped save two innocent babies from the horrific life that was ahead of them. We had a lot to be grateful for. Now I just needed to believe it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Renesmee**

"So what's the game plan? How are you gonna get the baby out without killing me?" Leah asked grandpa casually. I flinched at her words. Grandma Sue was sitting on one side of the bed and Seth was at the other. Jacob and I were at the foot of the bed waiting for grandpa's explanation.

"I cannot use my teeth like Edward did with Bella because of the venom so I plan to use Seth's claw to get to the baby. Wolf claws and teeth are strong enough to penetrate vampire skin so I am confident I will be able to get to her using this method."

"And if it doesn't work?" She asked, looking straight into his eyes. Grandpa nodded.

"If it doesn't then I will have to use my own teeth. I can always suck the venom out once the baby is safe. It seems that the baby's gift activates when you are in pain so there is a chance you might be unconscious throughout the process. There's also Eve."

"No. That kid's been through enough." Leah said quickly. I nodded in agreement.

"I can do it. I'm not venomous. I was strong enough to tear vampire flesh. I can do this." I told them. They all looked at me unsure. It was maddening but I tried to keep calm in order to show them that I wasn't some fragile child. I could do this.

"That's a viable option as well. We'll decide once its closer to the date. The baby was growing alarmingly fast. It took Nessie a week to grow to this stage but the child's growth spurt seemed to stabilize over the last few hours. This baby is different from Nessie. It seems she requires less blood and nutrients than Nessie did which is why we haven't fed you any blood. You might even be able to have a natural child birth. We won't know until you are further along." Leah nodded. Jake and Sue had cringed when he mentioned Leah drinking blood. Surprisingly Leah and Seth hadn't.

"I still want you all to get some rest. If its ok with you Leah, I'm sending everyone home and they can all come see you tomorrow."

"Ok but can mom stay. I just, I don't..."

"Of course I'll stay." She cut her off. Grandpa smiled to let them know he was ok with it, not that he would dare to take on grandma Sue.

"I'll have the boys set up a bed for you. Actually, I think I hear them coming with it now." Sure enough daddy, uncle Emmett and Embry were coming in with a bed. Uncle Seth, Jacob and I said our goodbyes and we left the room as the bed was being set up. I guessed the pack heard grandpa's orders because most of them had left. The only ones left were Paul, Rachel, Jared, Kim, Brady, Collin, Anna, Quill and Emily. I could hear them all in different places around the house. Only Emily and Kim were in the living room. I saw Anna with grandma Esme and a clean, neat Eve sitting next to her. She was wearing one of my old dresses, yellow with red accents. Her skin was a soft white that made her pink lips stand out. Her hair was coal black and long with slight curls at the bottom. She had a red ribbon and a bow tied around it which made her look like snow white. She was beautiful. She came towards me as soon as she saw me and hugged me with her little arms.

"Esme said Leah and the baby are ok." She whispered to me. I smiled at her and picked her up, unaware of what was happening around me.

"Seth man are you ok? Oh shit!" I heard Jacob say. When I turned to look at them I saw that Seth was staring at Eve in awe. He looked at he as if she was the most precious thing is the universe. It reminded me of the way that Jacob looked at me._ Oh my God!_ I felt my body stiffen in shock. Eve hugged me tighter but she couldn't stop staring at Seth.

"Well, at least I like this mutt better than the last one." Aunt Rose said from the corner. She was holding Chris, feeding him blood in a metal bottle. Her comment made Seth snap out of his stupor. He looked at us apologetically and then he walked out the door.

"What did I do?" She asked me with tears in her eyes.

"Nothing sweetie. That's Leah's little brother. He's just really stressed out about everything that happened. Give him a minute to get some fresh air. He's going to want to meet you." I told her. I handed her to my grandmother who gladly took her in her arms and headed for the kitchen. Probably to get her something to eat. She was convinced that food fixes everything. Anna and I walked towards the door but we didn't leave the house. We could hear them outside talking.

"Calm down Seth!" I heard Jacob tell him.

"What? What happened now?" Paul asked.

"Is Leah ok?" I heard Brady ask right afterward.

"Seth imprinted. He just needs a minute to calm down." Jacob informed them.

"Calm down? My sister got raped. My niece also nearly got rapped too, and I imprinted? What the hell is wrong with me?" Anna took my hand when uncle Seth mentioned me.

"Nothing is wrong with you man. You can't control it." Jake told him.

"Who the hell did he imprint on?" Jarred asked. He had left the kitchen when he heard all the commotion.

"Eve. The little girl that healed Leah and Nessie." Jake informed him.

"Oh God! They used my imprint to rape my sister, Jake." I could hear the heartbreak and anger in his voice but I knew that he wasn't upset with Eve. He was upset about what happened to her.

"I know." He said.

"How the hell are we going to help them through this? I don't even know how to process all of this."

"I don't know either but they're stronger than us. They'll get through this either way. Now come on. Come meet your imprint." Jake said.

"I'll go check on Eve." Anna told me with a smile and she went into the kitchen to let Eve know that Seth was coming to meet her. The all came into the house together. I held out my hand for uncle Seth so that I could take him to meet Eve. He took my hand but he surprised me by pulling me towards him.

"I haven't been able to give you a proper hug since you got here." He explained. I smiled into his shoulder as I hugged him back.

"Thank you for saving her. Them." He whispered in to my ear. I was uncomfortable with his thank you so I just nodded and took his hand. We walked into the kitchen as we left the others to talk about what happened. Eve was sitting on the counter with a cookie in her hand. She was smelling it. Her nose crinkled cutely at the sweet treat.

"It isn't bad, I promise." Anna was telling her as she ate her own cookie. I could tell she was trying not to laugh as Eve glared at the offending cookie. I walked up to them.

"Eve, this is my uncle Seth. He's Leah's brother. Seth, this is Eve." I introduced them. Eve looked as him shyly. She hopped off the counter and walked towards us. Seth had to crouch so that he could be closer to her level. He extended his hand to shake it. Eve looked at it and then she looked at me. I showed her an image of what she was supposed to do. I figured that she wouldn't have learned social conventions where they kept her. She took his hand and shook it.

"Nice to meet you." She repeated the phrase she has seen from my vision. Seth smiled at her with such a loving smile that it made my heart melt.

"Come on. I made plenty for everyone." Grandma said as she presented us with a large tray of cookies.

"You can have mine." Eve whispered to Seth as she handed him the cookie.

"You're sure you don't want to try it?" She shook her head and he quickly grabbed the cookie and popped it in his mouth. She giggled.

We all heard a loud anxious bark outside. I ran, recognizing the familiar sound. When I got outside Jake was shushing Daisy trying to calm her. He saw me and let go of her leash. Daisy ran towards me wagging her tail and whimpering happily.

"Daisy!" I couldn't help it. I was so happy to see her. She jumped on my leg and I picked her up. She immediately started licking me. I laughed. I was shocked by the sound. I saw Jacob staring at us smiling. The way he looked at me made my heart swell. I walked towards him, suddenly needing to be close to him.

"If I would have known she would make you laugh like that, I would have brought her sooner." He told me. I placed Daisy back on the ground and I went straight to him. I jump on him and he caught me easily. I placed my hand on his neck and I showed him what I wanted.

"Ok." He said. He carried me to the cottage. Daisy followed behind us. Once we were home Jacob carried me to my room and placed me on my bed before he got into the bed next to me. Daisy hopped on the bed but stayed by our feet.

"Go to sleep, Ness. I'll be right here when you wake up." He said and brought me closer to him almost creating a cocoon. I closed my eyes letting my mind drift, knowing that I was safe.

As promised, Jake was there when I woke up. It was early morning so he was still sleeping. I kissed the tip of his nose and then I got out of bed so that I could take Daisy out. Daddy was in the kitchen making breakfast for us. I was surprised momma was gone.

"She's out hunting. I'm almost done here. I can take Daisy out if you want."

"It's ok. She does better when I take her. How's Leah?" He looked instantly troubled but he quickly cleared his face when he realized I saw it.

"The baby started growing quickly again a few hours ago. This time its taking a lot out of her. She's weaker and she can't keep anything down. Not food or blood. We are feeding her intravenously for now. Carlisle is certain that it will stop eventually like it did before. But if it doesn't we may need to intervene before she gets too weak for our original plan." I took a deep breath to calm myself. Tears were threatening to come out but I needed to be strong for Leah.

"Its ok to be angry, love. Its been a long and emotional road but, like I told you, Carlisle is positive that its just a growth spurt and that it will stabilize again."

"Why? What's his point of reference?"

"Nahuel and Hulien. Carlisle called them last night. Hulien told us that Nahuel's mother, Pire, had a similar pregnancy. Nahuel would also grow in spurts from the womb but that stopped once he was born."

"Maybe its related to gender. Does that mean that the baby might be a boy? That doesn't make sense." I said confused. Males carry the gene for venom. Leah's body would have rejected that.

"I don't know baby. We have to wait until the child arrives to run DNA tests."

"Ok. I'll take Daisy out now."

"Very well."

I went through our usual trail until we got to the meadow. I let Daisy run off leash so that she could do her business and I sat on the ground. I started thinking about Leah's condition and I felt my depression coming back. I wondered if I was suffering from post-traumatic stress briefly but then I felt Daisy slip into my lap distracting me. I looked at the treed watching the sun come up and light up the meadow. It was beautiful. It made me wonder how many sunrises Leah had left. I felt the pessimism and self-loathing creep into me again. The tears were flowing down my cheeks when a shift in the wind brought aunt Alice's scent to me. It was only a moment later before she was sitting next to me.

"This is all my fault. My best friend might die because of me." I said out loud more to myself than anyone but I couldn't help the sadness that my voice held.

"She will live through this." She said. Her voice was so certain that I would have believed she saw the future. "As much as I try to predict the future there are some things that I can't prevent. I don't know why this happened but I do know one thing."

"What?" I asked her.

"None of it was your fault. You saved her. You saved all of them. _You_ did." It was not the first time I heard this but the words were still foreign to me. I wrapped m arms around her waist. She hugged me back, stroking me hair to sooth me as I cried into her bosom.

"I'm trying so hard to believe that but it still feels like my fault. If only I would have discovered my gifts sooner or maybe if had..." I stopped, unwilling to say out loud the real reason why I felt so guilty. "I could have stopped them." I said flatly.

"Of you could have died trying. Nessie you took down two vampires but you took them out one at a time. They were more experienced than you and I can tell you from personal experience that experience counts. I have the ability to see exactly what my enemy will do and I still have difficulty fighting experienced vampires."

"You're right. I know you're right. I just..."

"You still feel guilty… It seems to me that maybe there is something else that is bothering you. Maybe something that you haven't figured out yet." She said as she continues to stroke my hair. She was right but I wasn't ready to talk about it.

"Maybe. I should head back. I want to be there when Jake wakes up."

"Ok. But promise me you'll come talk to me when you feel you're ready."

"I will auntie. Thank you." I kissed her forehead and I left for the cottage.

Jacob was already eating by the time I arrived. I came in with Daisy and she quickly went to his side to give him her puppy dog eyes. He smiled and threw her a piece of bacon.

"Good morning." He told me.

"Sorry. I wanted to be here when you woke up."

"Its ok. Edward went back to the house. He told me about Leah. Come here. Sit. Eat." He said as he got up to offer me his chair and food. I looked at him amused.

"What?" He asked me confused.

"Come. Sit. Eat? Are you talking to me or Daisy?" He smiled and got up to offer me his chair. Once I was seated, he went to the kitchen to get another plate. I sat on his chair and started eating some of his food. He came back with a new plate of food and sat on the chair next to me. We ate quietly. It wasn't awkward but I could tell there was something on his mind and the tension just kept building making me anxious.

"What? What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Why haven't you talked to me Ness? You've talked to pretty much anyone except me."

"That's only because everyone keeps talking to me, telling me that it wasn't my fault. Telling me to let love heal me. I get it. I am fine. I'm trying to process everything." I put my fork down on the table, unable to look at him. He took the leg of my chair and turned the chair so that it was facing him. It wasn't an angry movement but it took me by surprise. He was setting us up for a long conversation. I looked at him and waited for him to begin.

"You're not fine Nessie. You're never going to be fine until you talk about what happened and how you really feel about it."

"I've already said how I feel about it."

"Bullshit! This is me you're talking to Ness. You can't fool me. The moment that I felt your fear it was like my connection to you went into overdrive. I can feel everything you feel. Everything Renesmee. You're not ok, I thought you were but you're not."

"Then you tell me what's wrong with me?" I don't know why I was getting defensive but I never had him confront me in this way. I wasn't sure why he was doing it but I didn't like it.

"I left you. You ran off. They took you." He waited for a moment. "They were going to rape you but Leah told them to take her instead." He waited again. I felt the tears slip down my cheeks. "He tried to rape you. He kissed you, touched you." I don't know if he was trying to see which statements caused s stronger emotional reaction or if he was just being a jerk but I heard enough.

"Stop it!" I said angrily.

"Then talk to me! I can't take this damn silence anymore. I can't stand the mood swings and the constant pain and the guilt. You have been avoiding dealing everything that happened. Please Nessie. Talk."

"First of all, I not mad that you left. Andrew was right. You weren't going to stay away from me for long and I should have known that from the start. I acted like a child throwing a temper tantrum." I said, I started with the easier topic but then I moved on to the next one. "My first kiss should have been you. I wanted it to be you. I'm angry that it wasn't because _you_ are all I ever really wanted." I wasn't looking at him but I heard him take a sharp intake of breath. I waited but he didn't say anything so I continued to the more difficult subject. More difficult than discussing my feelings for Jake.

"Leah sacrificed herself for me. She told them that I didn't have a period so that they would go after her instead. She lied. The moment she regained control of her body she lied to save me and I didn't. I couldn't have done same thing. I could have showed them the truth. I could have showed them that I was the fertile one and she was the one who stopped having cycles but I didn't. I wish I could say that it was because I was afraid they would kill her but that wasn't it. I was afraid for myself. I didn't want him to rape _me_. She sacrificed herself for me and I couldn't do it for her. I was scared. I was a coward. She doesn't deserve what happened to her. It should have been me. It was supposed to be me." I was sobbing now. I still couldn't look at him so I looked at my hands instead. He didn't touch me or hold me like I expected him to. I took a few breaths to try to calm myself. He still didn't touch me. I finally looked at him, my curiosity overriding my fear. He stood the moment I looked at him. His face was a mask but his eyes were concerned. He signaled for me to stand, still not touching me. I stood.

"How do you feel Ness?"

"Confused. Angry. Hurt. Guilty." I said honestly but after a moment I realized what he was looking for. "But better, actually. It was hard to say that out loud."

"Good. Now its your turn to listen..." He swallowed hard before he started. "I was childish too. I left you instead of facing the reality that things were changing. I should have realized that, like everything else about us, our relationship would change and that it would change for the better." I nodded and looked down to the floor. He lifted my chin with one finger so that I could meet his eyes. Then he continued.

"What Leah did is not something that anyone can do. And its not just cause she's older and more experienced than you, which she is… but she's made of different stuff than most people. She has gone through a lot. She's been through things that most people don't ever have to go through, which is why she was able to see that she could do it. I was in her head and I saw why she did it. It was an obvious choice for her because she loves you, because she's as protective of you as she is with Seth, but also because she knows the difference. She knows the difference of when a man who loves her touches her, makes love to her. You don't. You actually seem to think that what that bastard did was your first kiss." He got closer to me and finally touched me. He placed a gentile hand on my waist and brought me closer to him, closing the distance between us. I could feel his entire body against mine. I tensed suddenly and he pulled my chin up again to look at him.

"I love you. I will never hurt you, Ness. You don't EVER have to be afraid of me." He told me as he stroked my bottom lip with his thumb. My entire body shivered. The hand that was on my hip holding me against him moved slowly up my arm leaving a trail of goosebumps until it reached my neck. I had been staring into his eyes the entire time. I was completely captivated by them, unable to look away. His hands were on m neck but they were to large that his fingers lightly stoked my face. His head lowered and stopped when our noses touched. He kissed it chastely, as I had done this morning, and then he whispered, "This. This is your first kiss." I closed my eyes and I felt his lips press against mine. I felt a wave of emotion course through me. His lips moved, taking my bottom lip captive. My own hands trailed up his chest and to his neck. I could feel every inch of skin that he touched on my neck and face but somehow, my entire body tingled. I knew he could feel it too. I had no control over the love that I was feeling for him at the moment and I knew that he could feel it through my skin. Our lips explored one another softly, as they exchanged slow but firm bursts of love with every passing moment. It wasn't a passionate sexual movement, it was sweet, loving and perfect. Something was changing between us. I could feel is as the seconds past it was like the connection we shared before had a few weakened links which now grew stronger. I wasn't sure what I was doing but I didn't need to. He set the pace and, a few moments after it began, we both parted slowly. "I love you." I told him. I knew that I was stating the obvious but I needed to say it. He lowered his head and gave me chaste but sweet kiss on my cheek before he said "I love you too, Ness. Always." His arms surrounded me and held me my tightly against him.

"What changed? A couple of days ago you said that this was wrong." I asked him. I don't know why but I need to make sure this was not out of pity or some sense of duty.

"You changed. Its not going to be like what the other's have. You are still too young, but I have to learn that even though I don't have control, I have to trust the imprint because my love for you has never been and will never be wrong."

"Thank you." I whispered. He kissed the top of my head.

"You're growing up and you demonstrated that when you saved Leah. Leah isn't the only one who's made of something different than the rest of us. Yes, you were afraid at first but you pushed your fears aside and you fought back. You could have left her there, Ness. If it had been any other imprint, Leah would be dead right now. Anyone one else would have been too afraid to even try to think of something to save her."

"They're human. They couldn't have done anything."

"Oh yeah. Tell that to your mother. She didn't let the fact that she was human stop her and you didn't let the fact that you were out powered stop _you_. That leech had the ability to paralyze you and leave you defenseless but you went into that room anyway to save your friend. You're not a coward, Ness. You didn't shrivel up and let life happen to you, you took charge, like the kind, strong young woman you are and I am so proud of you for it." For once, those words of praise didn't bother me. His love was like a balm on all the open wounds I was trying to hide.

"Ok." I whispered. He smiled at me. It was a genuine Jacob smile that made me smile back at him.

"I'm hopping in the shower before we head over there. Can I use your bathroom?"

"Of course." I told him. I started cleaning up when I heard the shower turn on. I was almost done with the dishes when I heard a wolf howl in the distance.

"What now?" I was exhausted again. I head the water in my bathroom shut off and Jacob ran outside with a towel wrapped around his waist. It would have been funny except for the fact that a second howl hit the air before I had time to process we were in high alert. I ran outside behind Jacob.

We reached the perimeter and my heart nearly screamed when I saw why they were on alert. Duilio was nodding angrily at something my father was telling him. Daddy and my uncles had gotten there before us. He looked older, like a 10 year old. I saw the relieved expression on his face when he saw me and I ran towards him at vampire speed.

"Duli! What are you doing here?!" I said as I hugged him.

"I've been calling you for days. I even called dad a few days ago but he didn't call me back so I came." He said. His voice was older too. Like a teenager rather than a ten year old child.

"Come on kids. Let's go home." Daddy told us.

* * *

**Jacob**

For three days I waited for her but she never came. It was excruciating. I had her literally next to me but I never felt so far away from her. I could feel every emotion that she was feeling. They were all trying to comfort her but she refused to be comforted. She was being stubborn. Like her mom. It was her pain that woke me. I felt it crash into me in my sleep and when I opened my eyes she was gone. I became immediately alarmed. I almost phased right there in her room but I heard Edward in the kitchen tell me to calm down and then he told me that she was with Alice. I ran over the conversation I had with him because I still wasn't sure he would be ok with what happened between Nessie and me. The last thing I wanted was to hurt them.

_"What's wrong with her Edward? These mood swings, this constant guilt…"_

_"Everyone deals with traumatic situations differently. My sister went on killing spree. My mom committed suicide. Leah is focusing on her baby and suppressing everything else… I think, Nessie is focusing on Leah but I'm not sure. She's trying to bottle it all up because she feels her pain is not as important but mostly I think she's using Leah as an excuse to hide something. She's not saying what needs to be said because either she doesn't want us to worry or because she doesn't want to process everything that happened. I don't know Jacob. Maybe she doesn't even know what's bothering her. Maybe she just needs to talk maybe she needs time but we won't know anything until she talk about what's really bothering her. I think its related to this constant guilt she has. Renesmee is not an irrational person but this guilt is eating her up with no substantial reason. She's my baby girl and I don't know what she needs. I don't know how to make this better Jake." The sadness in his voice was literally heartbreaking. He was holding on to the kitchen counter like he was holding on to his dear life. I put my hand on his shoulder. He looked at me and I knew that if he could he would be crying right now. I wasn't familiar with this Edward. It was worse than when Bella was pregnant. _

_"Let me try, I think I can get through to her." He nodded and sighed heavily._

_"If anyone can, it's you. You always had a way of getting through to these Swan women." He gave me a sad smirk and he walked out the kitchen._

_"I'm going to go check on Leah. The baby is growing again and she's getting weak but don't worry. Carlisle has it under control."_

_"Oh, ok. Tell her we'll be over there to visit soon." I told him._

I was beyond relived that I got her to talk to me. I could tell that it helped her. Her emotions were calmer. I already felt calmer and more controlled which meant that she was too. She needed to acknowledge what happened in order to move past her guilt. She also needed to know the difference between what happened to her and a real first kiss. I could still feel her warmth on my skin. It wasn't a sexual passionate kiss. It was full of love.

My connection with her for these past few days didn't just become stronger, it also changed what we had. I felt it the moment our lips touched. She was my everything but she was also my mate. MINE. She never felt this mine before. It was going to be difficult to have a relationship while she still looked 14 but nothing worth having was easy. She wasn't a four year old. She was a young woman and she's been through more than what I gave her credit for, even before this event. Nessie was right. As weird as it was, our relationship wasn't wrong. It wasn't about sex or anything convoluted, it was about me finally acknowledging that she was my mate, my equal, the other half of me. I barely had time to rinse out the soap before I heard the alert go out. I tuned off the water, grabbed my towel and ran out the door. I heard the voices as soon as I phased.

_Its the Volturi kid Jake. _Embry told me.

_Great, just what we needed. What the hell is he doing here?_

_Nessie. He's been trying to contact her but obviously with everything that's going on, he hasn't been able to._

_Damn it. I'm glad he's here for Nessie but we can't have him know about Leah. If Aro finds out._

_I know. He said he's alone. Edwards explaining a little bit of what happened. He told him he won't tell him everything because Leah and Nessie are a little sensitive about what happened that kid is smart. He knows that his mind isn't safe. He told Edward he's leaving as soon right after he sees Nessie and that if any Volturi sets foot on our land that we have his blessing to rip them apart._

_I always knew I liked that kid._

We arrived just as Edward was finished talking to Duilio. He was clearly upset by what Edward told him. I saw the relieved look on Duilio's face when he saw Nessie. There was never any doubt in my mind that Duilio loved her which is the only reason I would overlook the flecks of red in his eyes. Edward gave me a warning look as soon as I thought about his eye color. I should have known he would be protective of him.

That kid had only been here for a few months but he spend every second of the day with Nessie. Naturally, Edward and Bella grew attached to him. I still remember Edward, Bella, Nessie and Duilio all laying on the bed while Bella read the kids a story. Like one big happy family. Another time, Bella and I came home, to find Edward sitting on the couch, one kid on each side asleep. Even _I_ had to admit it was cute. The kid even looked a bit like them except for the blue-gray eyes and the hair. Other than that the kid had their pale skin, his brown hair color was a few shades darker than Bella's but he had Edwards, strait airy texture to it. The worst part was that he had Edward's cocky half smirk and attitude. The four of them had been a family. Nessie and Bella took it hard after he left us but nobody knew about Bella's pain except me. She wouldn't cry in front of Edward or Nessie but I finally took her aside and told her to cut the crap so she let it all go. I guess Edward was right about me and these Swan women.

"Come on kids, let's go home." I heard Edward tell them and we all turned around to go home.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I don't like to use author's notes to answer questions because I find long author's notes annoying but someone actually asked for an explanation and I want to address his/her concerns. First of all, as the story goes along certain events will be come clearer. There is a reason to my madness, I did not just write in a rape for no good reason. I'm sorry if all you Leah lovers are mad but I promise that it will be ok. Leah is going to struggle but like every heroine, she will overcome it. I loved where this plot took me so bare with me because there is a light at the end of the tunnel.**

**The other concern is related to my interpretation of the twilight universe so let me explain that I am trying to follow Stephanie Meyer's world from the books not from the movies. I understand that Leah's child is from her rapist but Leah loves her son because that is how women who carry half breeds feel about their kids. Meyer wrote that both Bella and Nahuel's mother loved their babies even though the baby was killing them. Hulien explained to Aro that her sister Pire 'loved the child inside her' even when he broke her bones she still loved him. This is an instinctual motherly love gone into overdrive because it is a supernatural pregnancy, so it makes sense that Leah would have that same supernatural love for her son. It is a supernatural baby so her supernatural love that overrides the fact she was raped. I understand that when women get raped they go through a lot of trauma but Leah did it to save Nessie. ****It would be unrealistic if she just completely shuts down. ****Leah is a very matter of fact type of person. Her personality cannot allow her to completely fall apart because 1) she's a wolf and warrior, 2) she has gotten through a lot of stuff (loosing her dad, phasing, Sam), and 3) she saves someone she loved (this alone would help any normal woman overcome what happened to her). **

**As for Nessie and Jacob. You need to take out of your head the idea of a conventional teenager. This is a supernatural child. In Chapter 27 of BD Meyer describes that Nessie had her first conversation at a week old. Normally, kids don't put together sentences until about three. So if you multiply that advanced mental acuity seen at 1 week of birth time 4 years, you have a fully grown adult. Her physical appearance is still young because I always imagined both Bella and Edward with soft features; therefore, I always envisioned Nessie to have a 'baby face', like my sister who is 22 but looks like she is a 10th grader in high school. Again chapter 27 of BD states that at 3 months, Nessie looked like a small 2 year old but she wasn't shaped like a toddler because she was leaner. I interpreted that as, she did not have the rounded chubby features of a child. Meyer even describes Nessie as having even proportions like an adult. This is what I had to work with, so when I thought about Nessie I simply could not make her infantile or give her an infantile personality. She's an adult and in a year or two she will look more like one. I will take a different approach with Eve because she was kept in a room and abused for the first months (or in hybrid standards years) of her life, so Eve will be a little more infantile and possibly have some other issues. This is my interpretation of what would happen to a hybrid who is neglected and abused. I based this on the fact that human children who are abused or children who are found in the wild often have many mental disabilities that keep them a a very low mental age. I can't do that to a hybrid because they are supernatural and have advanced brains that do not allow them to be mentally retarded so Eve's issues will manifest differently. **

**So this was a lot longer than I intended. This is why I don't like to answer concerns in author's notes. If you have a question please PM me because its easier. Please PLEASE keep the reviews coming. I LOVE all of your comments and suggestions! They help me see which areas I need to clarify so thank you for your input!**

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Renesmee**

I knew dad hadn't told Duilio the entire story. I could tell simply from looking at both their eyes. They were both being cautious. It made me sad that it had to be this way but I was happy he was home. We didn't go to the main house. Daddy led us back to the cottage where momma and some of the family were waiting for us. My mom nearly squeezed the life out of Duilio when she saw him. She missed him too. Jacob had phased back along with Embry and Quill. I could tell that everyone had mixed feelings about him being here. He was Volturi now. I saw the flecks of red in his eyes like beacons. It hurt me to see them there but I tried to push that aside because he was my family, no matter what.

"I'm sorry I surprised all of you like this. I knew I shouldn't have come but I was going crazy with worry. I had to know you were all safe."

"Don't be silly." Momma said quickly. "This is your home too. But, how were you able to come? I doubt Marcus allowed it."

"No. He didn't allow it at first. But after two days of no contact I didn't give him any choice in the matter. I told him that I was leaving and that I would return once I knew you were all ok. I also told him I would dismember any guard that tried to stop me."

"And he let you come after you said that?" I asked him in shock.

"Marcus is a different type of father. He respects strength and power and ruthlessness. I stood up to him so he let me come but he didn't let me come alone. There's two members of the guard in Seattle waiting for me which is why I can't stay Nessie. It's not safe, my mind isn't safe." My heart sank to my stomach. I missed him so much and after everything that happened it felt so right to have him here.

"But you can't leave yet. You just got here. Please. Stay just one night." Duilio looked at daddy doubtfully. Dad smiled at him and nodded to answer some silent question between them.

"Ok. But I must leave after that." He patted my hand before he looked at daddy. "I'm afraid Aro will be curious about what has happened. He'll know we are keeping something from him." Duilio said with regret.

"Then I think its better that he knows." Momma told us. Everyone looked at her in surprise except for my father. I had a feeling that she had opened her mind to him to explain her rationale.

"She's right. I'm willing to bet Aro is part of the reason why you're here. He's been hoping to get more information on the Olympians and now he has a way to get the full update."

"I think you're right. Fuck! I'm such an idiot!"

"Language, Duli." He warned in fatherly tone. "This isn't your fault, son. Besides, it won't hurt to tell him. Nothing has really changed. Alice, Bella and I are still only members of our family with gifts that he doesn't already have. Everyone else is irrelevant. Aro has no need to want anyone _else_." That was his code word for the kids. Emmett instantly stiffened when he caught dad's drift. His arms were crossed angrily and his eyes had gone from confusion to full comprehension when my father finished talking.

"I don't like it." Uncle Emmett said in a hiss. Uncle Jasper approached him to put a hand on his shoulder.

"He's right Emmett. I don't like it any more than you do but I rather Aro see that we are informing the Volturi in good faith. We have nothing he really wants or needs."

"Fine. Let's just get this over with." He left for the main house to get the children. He must have felt powerless. This was a reminder that our lives were not under our control. The Volturi could decide that we were a threat and we could do nothing but fight a losing battle.

"I hate this." Duilio said.

"I know sweetie." Momma brought him close to her and kissed the top of his head.

"I missed you, mom." He whispered when she kissed him. Momma put his arm around him and he took a deep breath as if he was savoring her scent. I was holding on to his hand a little tighter as we waited for uncle Emmett and the kids to come.

They arrived within a few minutes. Aunt Rose was holding Chris and grandma was holding Eve. Surprisingly Seth wasn't with them. I guessed they were trying to hide the imprint to Eve. Duilio would know they were imprints the moment he saw them together. Everyone somehow managed to fit into the tiny living room. Duilio's eyes widened when he saw them come in.

"You're numbers have grown." He said without any emotion in his voice.

"These children were found by Renesmee and Leah. Nessie rescued them. They have been through a lot, especially Eve. Our own parents have decided to adopt her. We can't think of any better parents for her after everything she's been through." Dad explained.

"They're both gifted." Duilio told him. Duilio could see if someone was gifted by looking at their soul.

"She has the power to heal humans. Not a useful power but they were keeping her around for other purposes." My brother nodded in understanding but his face looked furious.

"That's sickening. I assume these bastards are dead."

"Yes. Nessie disposed of them and Emmett and Jasper took care of cleaning any evidence."

"Good. I just wish I could have torn then apart myself."

"We all do... The boy's name is Chris. He was only a few days old when Nessie found him. Emmett and Rosalie have decided to adopt him. He's gift is very basic. He can sense if there are people around him up to about a mile radius. He could be considered a tracker but his gift is much weaker. Hardly a gift worth having with Demetri in the guard."

"I agree. Their gifts are of no use to the guard. You could have lied to me but I can tell you are telling me the truth. You all have proven that you can keep our life secret. I don't see any reason why the Volturi should interfere."

"You really don't think Aro would be interested in them?" Rosalie asked. I could heart the tints of fear in her angry voice.

"Oh he'll be interested in them but their powers aren't useful to us. We have no need to heal humans and Demetri's tracking abilities are far superior to those of your son. I don't think you'll have to worry Rosie. Besides, motherhood looks good on you, I doubt even Aro would want to mess with what I see." He smiled at her his half smile that made him look like dad.

"Besides you kids don't want to join the Volturi do you?" He asked the kids. Both kids shook their heads. Actually, Chris first looked at Rosalie lovingly and then shook his head. Eve hid her face into grandma's side and then she shook her head. Duilio smiled, liking their response. His eyes lingered on Eve for a while. He was suspicious.

"Is there anything else that I should know?"He turned to my dad. I almost cringed. Everyone looked at each other. We all couldn't look guiltier if we wanted to. Daddy sighed.

"Seth imprinted on Eve. She's one of theirs now. She's protected by both packs just as Nessie is. "

"Thank you. I could already tell she was an imprint. Its pretty obvious. I'm glad its Seth. He's a good guy." He looked at daddy. "I'm sorry. I know this must be hard on all of you."

"Not nearly as hard as it is on you." Grandma told him. "I stand by what my son said last time. You are always welcome to stay here."

"Thank you. If you don't mind, I'd like to stay the night. I told Demetri and Roberta I will be back by tomorrow anyway."

"Then you stay here with me. It'll be like old times." I told him smiling.

"I'd like that. And I promise you all that, once I get home, I will make sure this never happens again. Hybrids **will** be protected." He said. The family said their goodbye's to Duilio one by one. Daddy called Demetri to let him know that Duilio was staying with us for the night and that we would drive him to the airport ourselves in the morning. Jacob, momma and daddy were the only ones who stayed in the cottage. We played cards, chess, and Pictionary. Then momma prepared dinner, she and daddy watched us eat. They were trying hard not to laugh at all the faces Duilio was trying not to make. He had been on a human blood diet so food tasted awful to him. I looked around the table and realized that my family was complete. I would give anything to have him back. I wished there was a way I could keep him with us but I had nothing.

Once the night fell we went to my room and got into my bed. Jacob sat on the floor watching us while momma and daddy came in and told us a story. We were both too old for this but we both needed the simple tradition. After it was done they kissed us both goodnight and left. Jacob lingered behind and he covered us with a blanket.

"Jake?" Duilio said.

"What's up?"

"I know you don't approve of what I've become. I just wanted you to know that it isn't by choice. I hate doing it every time." He said. His voice held all the emotion of a man even though they came out of the mouth of a child. I could see the worry in Jake's eyes as he sat on the bed next to him.

"Are they forcing you to do it? Have they threatened you?"

"I wish I had that justification but I don't. They are not kind but they are not abusive. Its, its just a different way of life. Its complicated. Life here is so simple and easy compared to life in Volterra."

"What's so complicated? If you don't want to do it then why do you?"

"Because it is who I must become. There are things that you will never know or understand about our world. This life that you have here is beautiful and it should be protected. As much as I would like to continue to be a part of it, I will only put it at risk by staying. So instead I am satisfied with trying to protect what you have here. You know what that is like, Jake, because you have a responsibility to your tribe. You now live a supernatural life to protect the people in these lands. Their simple human life is worth protecting. I must protect everyone else. What happened to Nessie and Leah is just the tip of the iceberg compared to the things I've seen and read in our history books. My father has made sure that I learn because he intends for me to be like him, a keeper of our laws, but in order to do that he said there are sacrifices that I must make. I thought he meant the blood drinking but that's just a part of it. It took me some time but I realized that there are pieces of myself that I have to let go so I can become what I need to become."

"I know that things are complicated but you don't have to lose yourself in order to become a strong leader. Yeah, I had to give up my human life. I had to grow up quickly too and I had a lot of responsibility put on me at a young age. But I didn't change everything I believed in so that I could do it. Once upon a time, my alpha was about to make a huge mistake and he wanted to force me to be a part of it. I took a stand and I protected what I believed in. I am a better man because of it. I know he is your father but you said it yourself that he respects strength. Be strong." I could see the worry in Jake's eyes. He likes Duilio, maybe even loved him.

"I'm trying, Jake. But like I said, it's very complicated. Humans aren't always victims. The more I learned the more I realized that my father was right. I know you don't understand and you probably never will but I am doing the best I can.

"I want you to know that I will always protect the life you have here Jacob. Just make sure you protect them too…" He looked at the door, indicating that he was talking about my family. "At least until I finish my training and can ensure the Volturi will uphold the laws as we were meant to." He told Jacob with tears in his eyes that never fell. I was sitting on the bed with tears of my own. It was strange to hear these words coming out of such a young boy. It was even stranger for me to see my happy light hearted brother talking about such serious matters. These weren't the words of a child, they were the words of a man asking another man to protect his family.

"You can see souls. So you know that I will do everything to protect her and her family. They're my family too." Duilio extended his arm and Jake took it. His massive hand looked like it could swallow Duilio's small one yet both hands shook powerfully and strongly.

I was trembling. Both the man and the man-boy looked at me. Jacob got up and came over to my side. He took my face in his hands then he leaned over to kiss my cheek. It was a sweet gesture. Full of love. He gave Duilio one last nod and he left the room.

"Why do you have to take this responsibility Duli? You could just stay here, with us. I'm sure that your father would understand and its not like you couldn't visit him. Please Duli. Stay with us." Is was a weak plea. I knew he would refuse but I had to ask anyway.

"I'm sorry Nessie." He told me with a sad look.

"I just don't know why you just can't stay here."

"Because I don't belong here. This was never supposed to be my life. This life is like a beautiful dream. A dream that I must protect." He touched my cheek and stroked away one of my tears.

"They don't hurt me, Nessie. My father would never allow them to seriously hurt me. He needs me, not just as a father needs a son but also as a partner. Aro and Caius have run the show for far too long and they have soiled everything that the Volturi stood for. We need to build it up so that people like you and your family even have a chance as surviving. My father has shown me that a reformation is needed. Aro disagrees but Caius is still licking the wounds your family left on our morale. I have been trying my best to keep other covens from challenging you but our last battle left us weak in the eyes of other vampires and, because of it, you were at risk. What happened to you shouldn't have happened. But I swear to you that it will never happen again."

"You've changed. You sound so grown up."

"You changed too. I don't like the dark colors I see in your soul. It hurts me to see them."

"Its hard not to let the darkness affect me after everything that happened."

"You are one of the strongest people I know. You'll figure it out, sis. I know it."

"I miss you."

"I know. I can see it even without my gift. I miss you too." I hugged him and pulled him to the bed with me. We held each other's hand. I showed him some of my new friends from school. He smiled the entire time. We fell asleep hand in hand like brother and sister. That night my dreams were full of love and family. I could only hope that it stayed that way for a while.

* * *

**Jacob**

I left the room sobered by what just happened. I just had a ten year old ask me to take care of his family until he's old enough to do it himself as if we were in the middle of a war. I walked into the living room to see Edward and Bella huddled on the couch whispering to each other. He was holding her and I could tell by the look on her face that she heard everything. They got up and went out the door. I knew enough to follow them. They stopped about a mile away from the cottage. I sat on a big rock. Bella was against a tree staring at the grass like she wanted to kill it.

"I hate this. I know he's not our real son but are we really going to let him walk away from us again? Especially now that we know what he's going to?"

"We can't do anything about it Bella. Marcus is his father. Besides Duilio has made up his mind."

"Because he thinks he needs to protect us, Edward! He is just a little boy. HE is the one who needs protecting. We can talk to him. Marcus can have him back when he's older."

"Marcus will never agree to that Bella. Would you? He may not show it on the exterior but Duilio can see into his soul and I can see into his mind. Marcus loves that boy and he will kill for him. He would destroy us."

"You both would be singing a completely different tune if he was an imprint. Damn it, he's our family!" She yelled at him angrily. I was almost stunned by it and I could tell Edward was too. I have never heard her yell at him like that. They never fought. Both vampires stared at each other. One angry and pained, the other sad and deflated. I had been silent the entire time but I felt compelled to stop the tension.

"Bells, I don't think we would be able to fight the Volturi even if he were an imprint."

"Jacob is right. If a wolf ever imprints on Duilio then that wolf would have to live in Volterra or try to live without her imprint because Marcus is never going to give up his son." I chucked humorlessly. Live in Volterra? Yea right! It would be a death sentence.

"They would destroy us Bells. Think about Nessie."

"I am. I just feel like I am sacrificing him and I hate it! I feel responsible for him. I love him like my own son. I can't help it!"

"I feel the same way, love, but we simply cannot risk the lives of everyone else in our family. He is Marcus's son. His parenting style may be different but in the end he wants what is best for his son. Its not how I would do it, but Marcus is from a different time. He is trying to help him grow into the strong young man we all know he is."

The look on Bella's face was heartbreaking. Edward walked up to his wife and took her in his arms trying to comfort her. I knew exactly how Bella felt. I already sacrificed someone I loved. Now we all had to sacrifice another one.

"Its not the same thing, Jacob." Edward told me.

"Well it sure as hell feels the same way and I am sick of it!" I said in a growl. I really wasn't mad at him but I couldn't help snap. I was angry at this situation. I felt completely useless, impotent. Tomorrow we had to drive Duilio to the airport and I would have to watch two vampire's take my imprint's brother like I watched two vampire's take my sister. It was unbearable. Edward came up to me and he put a hand on my shoulder.

"I am going to talk to Carlisle about contacting Marcus. Marcus always liked Carlisle. Maybe he can get Marcus to allow Duli to visit more. Or maybe he can convince him to take his son out of Volterra until he is ready to return as the leader his father wants him to be. I think Duli would benefit greatly from a change in scenery. Volterra can be a cold heartless place." I nodded. I could tell Bella was as dissatisfied as me but we all knew there was nothing more we could do.

I was about to leave when Edward stopped me.

"I think there is something else we need to talk about." Edward told me. Here is comes. He's definitely going to yell but I was fairly sure we wouldn't kill me. My kiss with Nessie was very PG. It was still magical but it only lasted for a few seconds. It was a short sweet. Its not like we made out or french kissed or anything worth killing me for. At least I hoped, he didn't think it was worth killing me.

"I'm not going to kill you. I just want to talk. Set some boundaries. That's all." He assured me. I really was too tired for this but I nodded.

"I'm sorry I didn't talk to you first but I just couldn't let her go on thinking about what that asshole did. She needed this. I felt it in my very core." A wolf could always tell what his imprint needs. Our actions and even our thoughts are driven by it which was why I was so scared at first.

"I know she needed it. Anyone who went through what they went through will have difficulties regardless of their age but I think your talk got through to her; so, we're not angry Jacob. Nessie has the mind of a grown woman. She hasn't been a child for a while."

"Its not just her mind Edward. Her face looks like a fourteen year old but we all know that her body doesn't. Alice always dressed her in baggy childlike clothing to hide the fact that Nessie doesn't grow like a typical kid. Her shape is different. Like a miniature adult getting bigger instead of a child growing older." Bella reminded us. She wasn't wrong. Even as early as two years ago, Nessie's body had curves that didn't belong on a child and then within the last year she got two very noticeable curves on her chest. I never really thought about it but it was weird to watch her grow. Duilio was going through the same process. He had the lean toned body and shape of a man except for his small stature and his child-like face. They both grew weird.

"Its not weird. Its how hybrids grow. Their bodies resemble childhood during the first year and even though their minds are very advanced, they use that first year to learn the rules of the world. This change became more noticeable around the time Nessie turned two. Her demeanor, her interests, everything about her changed." I remember how she went from a quiet little girl to an outgoing kid.

"And by the third year she was having conversations with us like an adult." I said continuing my train of thought. We all worked hard to give her a childhood but I often wondered if she was just humoring us. She smiled and played with whatever toy we got her for her birthday but I always felt she never really liked that.

"She humored us because it made us happy but I think she's done humoring us. By next year she will look 16 of perhaps even older until she stops aging at around 21. In the end, she'll look older than us." He said sadly, referring to himself and Bella. "I think its time to respect her decisions. All I ask is that you be respectful of the fact that she's our little girl and that she's been through a lot. I know enough about you to trust that you will be sensitive to her being in high school. Take it slow and make sure its you who sets the pace." I immediately took a step back. 'He wanted me to set the pace?' I didn't have any inappropriate intentinos but my mind was having a hard time wrapping my head around his words. Usually dads said the opposite of what he just said. Bella laughed.

"Don't look so shocked Jake. We trust you. Unlike my daughter, you have both the mind and body of an adult and are perfectly capable of self control. Nessie may have the mind but she still has a hormonal teenage body. At least for now she does."

"Ugh! Ok, I get it. I've been in her mind so I get it." I have seen the way she sees us. I've hears her think about it and describe it in her thoughts. Our simple kiss send sparks in both of us. The way it felt on the inside was a complete 180 to how it must have looked on the outside. I was fairly sure anyone else who saw it would think it was nothing. Her projections were very distracting but they were helpful for me to see when it was too much.

"Yeah. Keep your thoughts to yourself too. And try to wear shirts more often." Edward patted my shoulder and walked back to the main house. I was going to have to ask Alice to get more shirts so I could keep them around the house and around the forest. Bella walked up to me with a sad look.

"Don't worry to much about it. You'll both figure it out. You've had another long day. Go get some rest. You can stay in our room if you like. I'm going back to the house to check on Leah." She said and went back to the main house the same way Edward had. I realized I hadn't even gone to see Leah and a felt a pang of guilt but I was too drained to make the trip there. I marched to back the house and I went straight to their bed to sleep. Tomorrow was another fucking day!

I woke up to the smell of pancakes and the sweet flowery scent of my imprint. I opened my eyes and her face was literally inches away from mine. She was so close that I could barely see past her nose to meet her eyes. I felt her hand touch my hair gently, lovingly. It only took me a second to register that she was in bed with me again. I pulled her closer to me rewarded by a small giggle and I tucked her against me. I kissed her head and then I whispered 'good morning' into her ear before I nuzzled her hair playfully. I was taking in her scent when I felt someone literally pounce on me. Followed by a childish giggle coming from the foot of the bed.

"And that Chris is how you attack a wolf when you find him in bed with your sister." Duilio told Chris who had pounced on top of Nessie. Duilio was on top of me and had managed to maneuver my arm behind my shoulder. I swiftly rolled my body and we both landed on the floor.

"Hey!" Duilio yelled from under me.

"And that kids is how a wolf tackles hybrids who wake him before he's ready to wake." I got up and helped Dulio up too. I grabbed his hand and pulled him close to me. "And don't talk about your sister like that, twerp." Duilio smiled as if he was pleased that I was defending Ness.

I saw Eve hiding behind the post of the bed smiling. Nessie had Chris in her arms and was trying hard not to laugh while Bella and blondie were standing by the door.

"Breakfast is ready. Seth already started so I suggest you all go eat before there's nothing left."

"I woulun't do dat!" We heard Seth defend himself from the kitchen.

"Seth, don't talk with your mouth full." Esme reprimanded him and we all started laughing. Chris bounced off Nessie's lap and ran down the hall way. Eve quietly followed him taking Bella and blondie with her. When I turned to Duilio he was staring at us and smirking that very annoying smirk that remained me of Edward.

"I'm glad to see it all worked out." He told us then he turned and headed out. Nessie was also smiling. There was still a little bit of sadness in her eyes but the darkness they held earlier was almost gone. Was she ok? No. I could feel the trepidation through our imprint link but it was definitely less than it was a few days ago.

"Come on beautiful. Let's get something to eat." I told her as I extended my hand towards her. She took it and we went to the overcrowded dining room. I wasn't sure what was going on with these vampires but it was looked more like a fine dinner than breakfast. They moved all the sofas against the wall and brought in an extra table to extend the dining room table into the living room. The table was fully dressed and there was every kind of breakfast dish one could imagine. Everyone from last night's patrol was at the table eating and all the Cullens were here with the exception of Carlisle who was probably with Leah. My biggest surprise was Emily. She was sitting with Charlie and Rachel. My guess was that they were here to see Leah too and were grabbing some breakfast while there were at it.

Duilio was already sitting between Emily and my sister. I could hear him shamelessly flirt with them telling how living without their beauty was hardy a life were living or some other sappy crap. The girls always bought it. He had been suave that way since the day he could talk. He would get himself into all sorts of trouble and then he would use his charm to talk his way out of it. He especially loved Emily, one, because she had an amazing soul (don't need to be a soul seer to know that) and two, because it pissed off Sam who he hated for hurting Leah and for causing a rip between her and Emily. If it was for just that I would love the kid but he was more than just a charmer and righter of wrongs. He was a good kid. You just didn't want to get on his bad side.

He painted Sam's house in rainbow colors but then he got all of us to get together to paint both the inside and outside of Emily's house to her likening and we even redid her kitchen with the help of the Cullens who insisted on paying for everything since it was their kids who caused the mess to begin with. He stole Paul's car and hid it deep in the woods after he caught him yelling at my sister. Even though my sister had the situation more than handled, she got a good laugh out of seeing Paul chase after Duli. He painted my dad's wheelchair in hotrod red with flames to boot but then he had Edward buy him a whole new electric wheelchair. Of course my dad refused at first but the kid was a smooth talker and, in top of it, he used Nessie who just batted her pretty eyelashes at my dad and it was a done deal. Its strange how well he fit into all of our lives. Like he was meant to be a part of it.

Now, all the darkness from the past few days was forgotten for just a few hours so that we could give him a proper family breakfast and a proper goodbye. Yes, he was a Volturi but he was also one of ours. All the people that could at breakfast while everyone talked. Something told me that Leah was doing good because the mood in the room was, not happy, but uplifted. I looked at Edward who confirmed my suspicions with a nod then he continued to talk to Rosalie about which curriculum they would start the kids on. After a moment, Seth excused himself and a few moments later. Carlisle came in to say goodbye to Duilio.

Everyone said their goodbyes and Nessie, Bella, Edward and I left to take Duilio to the airport. I rode up front with Edward while Bella, Nessie and Duilio rode in the back. When we got to the airport we parked in the parking garage and only a few seconds after we parked a luxury town car blocked us from behind. Two Volturi leeches stepped out and the car drove off. We all stepped out. Nessie was holding on to Duilio's hand. I realized that each hand was wearing the bracelets they had exchanged a year ago. I hadn't noticed it until them.

"Master Duilio was quite worried. We're glad he was able to find you all well."

"I'm sure you are." Bella answered the female leech.

"Well its good to see you all well. Now if you may say your goodbyes, we all have a flight to catch."

Duilio's face had become the older mask I had seen last night. The man boy trying to be brave for his family. He hugged all of us one by one. When he got to Nessie he kissed her cheek and hugged her before he abruptly turned and walked toward Demetri. All three headed for the stairs. He turned around one last time and gave us a sad smile then he disappeared behind the door and he was gone.

Bella didn't hold it in this time, she sobbed in her husband's shoulder while they both hugged their daughter. I couldn't help the feeling of dread that washed over me, as if I had just made another mistake.

"We did what we had to do. We had no other choice." Edward told all of us, holding tightly to his two girls, but looking straight at me with doubtful eyes. He was praying too, praying that we did the right thing and that we didn't just sacrifice an innocent boy. So we all got into the car and we went home to Leah.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Renesmee**

The mood in the house was solemn but hardly the gloom and doom it held when we first arrived with Leah. Jake and I walked in and we headed straight for Leah's room. Her belly was round and she had dark circles under her eyes but other than that she looked ok. She smiled weakly at us when we walked in and patted the spot on the bed that was next to hers. Grandma Sue, excused herself to give us privacy. I sat next to Leah and Jake took grandma Sue's chair and scooted it beside me.

"Hi Lee. Sorry we couldn't come earlier but needless to say we couldn't have Duli anywhere near you."

"Relax Jake, I'm fine. How is the little, twerp."

"He's good." I said quickly. I didn't want Leah to have to worry about Duilio too. "How are _you_ feeling?"

"It got a bit scary yesterday but the doc took care of it. I think the Denali are coming though. Hulien and Nahuel want to come over to be here for us and the baby." She told me hesitantly. I could tell the question hidden within her words. She wanted to make sure I was ok with them coming over. Even with everything that's happened to her she was still making sure that I was ok. So instead I took her hand and countered her question.

"Are you ok with that? Are you ok with more visitors?" I asked her.

"Hulien knows a lot more about this and so does Nahuel. All that matters is that this baby is born safely. If they can help Carlisle..." She shrugged nonchalantly. I nodded.

"I know that the baby's health is important Leah but so is yours. Grandpa can manage your pregnancy without them just as well as he can with them here. You don't need to see more people if you don't want to."

"They're your family Ness. We have nothing to be ashamed of besides I have a feeling that this kid is going to need as much support as he or she can get."

"What? We're not good enough for you Clearwater?" Jacob asked with a smile.

"Of course you are dumbass! But we all know that not everyone will be accepting of this baby. I can't help but notice the people who haven't been here to see me." She was referring to Sam and most of his pack. Only a few of the members from Sam's pack had come to see her. Jared, Collin, and Steven only came over once. The others were still young so I had assumed this was the reason why they weren't around but even I found it strange that Emily was here and Sam was not.

"He's an idiot Leah. Don't you dare give him a second thought." I had to agree with Jake. I was very disappointing at Sam. I knew he hated us but I never imagined he would abandon Leah like this.

"My life isn't about Sam Uley and whatever his problem is. I love this baby. She's everything. I just don't want this baby to grow up feeling like the family reject. I kind of know what is feels to be unwanted by your own family." I felt a strong sting of guilt hit me. It was sharp, painful, and it wasn't my own. I looked at Jake and saw the hurt and guilt written all over his face. Leah looked at him too and I saw a flare of annoyance. She made the same face she did at school when one of the students were our of line.

"Damn it Jake I didn't mean it like that! Besides, I know you would never treat my kid as an outcast. You were the one that saved me from that." She told him.

"Leah this kid is a Quileute. I don't care what Sam has to say about it. My dad is chief and Sue is an elder. Nobody is going to mess with your daughter."

"And if the kid is anything like me, they're not going to want to anyway." She smiled proudly. I could see the love that had developed in her over the past few days had grown. Momma said that the type of love she felt for me was stronger than anything else she ever experienced. It was even stronger than the love she felt for dad, which was why she was able to go against him to protect me. Dad suspected that this strong love was part of the baby's defense mechanism. The same way anyone who touched me found me irresistible during the first year of my life or the same way humans found vampire scent and beauty alluring. It was a supernatural attraction to the baby and, for the mothers, it started at the womb. Leah had no choice but to love this child; however, knowing Leah, she would have loved this baby regardless. I was sure the baby could feel it, just as I could when I was inside my mother. Grandpa and Eve walked in, Seth trailing behind them. Eve was holding a little tray with Leah's medicines.

"It's time for your vitamin Leah. Does anything hurt?" She asked her, shyly. She was trying to avoid eye contact with Jacob. She felt shy around the men in the family. The only men she felt comfortable around were Seth and grandpa. Seth because of the imprint and grandpa because it was hard not to love my grandfather. Dad suggested that caring for someone else will help her with her rehabilitation. Grandpa had been putting her to work by helping Leah. She needed to make herself useful and it helped that Eve was a natural at being a healer. I saw that characteristic the moment we met. She pushed me aside to help Leah and she felt protective of her since the beginning. Now she was almost as obsessive as me. Leah didn't mind the extra attention Eve was giving her. She was very supportive of Eve. We all wanted to help Eve get through what she went through.

"Nothing hurts mini doc." Leah told her smirking at her new nickname. "I think the little one is sleeping." She told grandpa as he listened to her heart. Eve handed her the little cup with her vitamins and a cup of blood in a metal container. She swallowed it without difficulty while Jake looked like he was about to faint.

"She started vomiting everything her were giving her. We are feeding her intravenously and with blood. It's the only thing she can keep down today." Grandpa explained. Jake nodded, the look of shock slowly turning to one of sympathy.

"Alright Leah. Your heart is still strong but I want you to get some rest." Jake and I took the hint so we said our goodbyes and went downstairs. I was so relieved Leah was doing so well. She was strong. She would get through this. I could feel it.

Some of the Denali had been traveling in Asia so they arrived in pairs over the following few days. By the time Carmen and Eliezer arrived we received a letter from Aro expressing his condolences for what happened to me and Leah. His letter was simple but concise. He expressed his interest in our new family members and warned against increasing our numbers further due to exposure since we have chosen to live among humans.

Grandpa took the opportunity to respond to his letter to inform him that he and I are the only ones out in the public. He also sent a letter to Marcus expressing our thanks for allowing Duilio to visit and that we all felt Duilio could benefit from exposure to different cultures and environments. He offered take Duilio on our annual vacation during the summers. Grandpa outlined all the benefits of allowing hybrids to travel in hopes that he considers taking Duilio out of Volterra and away from Aro and Caius.

Leah condition was stable and she was getting bigger every day. The different members of the pack came to visit on and off but there was one person who still hadn't visited. Sam. Emily had been coming every single day. She wouldn't hover around Leah but she would make herself useful in the kitchen and keeping grandma Sue or uncle Seth company. Emily never had a chance to be alone with Leah. It made me sad because I knew that she wanted to talk to her but she just didn't know how. I wanted to help her talk to Leah but I didn't want to stress Leah so instead I tried to become friends with Emily. One afternoon, I finally asked Emily why Sam hadn't stopped by to visit.

"Sam was having a hard time with what happened. I didn't want him to cause any more stress to Leah or you." Emily explained.

"I think we're all having a hard time. I wouldn't have a problem with him being here. He's always been protective of Leah. I want her to have all the support she needs." She nodded in agreement.

"That's why I told him he wasn't allowed to come here. He's having a hard time accepting Leah's baby." She said ashamed. I felt sorry for her. She must be in such a difficult position.

"I'm sorry Emily. I know this must be hard."

"Don't you worry about me, honey. How's Duli doing?"

"He's ok. He misses everyone already."

"He's a good boy. He sent me flowers the other day but I wonder if that was more to piss of Sam than anything else. They were beautiful regardless." I smiled.

"He likes to send all the women flowers. He says flowers make the female soul glow brighter. But I am sure pissing off Sam was minor part of his reason as well." She chuckled and I went over to sit by Jacob.

Jacob had talked to my parents and he decided he was going to stop working so he could be there for Leah and the baby. I also decided not to return to school for the rest of the semester. I didn't want to go back at all but after talking to Leah, she convinced me to just take the semester off and then see how I feel for the spring term. I did miss my friends. Mica, Andrew, Carol and Anna came by almost every afternoon. I saw Lisa and Danny on some weekends but it was different because they didn't know about our world.

Jacob was very supportive during this time. He could feel my emotions and he was trying to help me through them. It was going to be a long process for me to feel like myself again. Jacob found a way to be there for both Leah and me. We were spending a lot of time together, like we did when I was a little girl. I had a feeling that part of the reason was because just like that time before the Volturi came, he was afraid of losing me.

All of my life I have been protected so it never occurred to me that someone could attempt to hurt me. It made me feel raw and vulnerable. I kept reminding myself that I defeated my opponents but a part of me was still afraid, still processing what happened. It was strange that as days passed I discovered new emotions that I didn't realize I had. It was my fear underlying most of them. This fear was the one that kept me from saving Leah when they brought me back to that room. This fear was the one that gave me nightmares at night. This fear was what kept me from moving forward. I was afraid for myself but I was also afraid that I would be in a situation where I wouldn't be able to defend the people I cared about. I finally decided to talk to the one person who might understand. I told Leah about what I was feeling. Not because she asked but because she already knew that something was wrong and she didn't push me to tell her.

"Nessie, I am glad that you didn't tell them the truth. I get why you feel guilty but you need to understand something."

"What?"

"I'm an adult. I'm a big sister and I'm the second oldest in the pack. I have had many many years of practice being a protector and letting my instincts take over. You've been in this world for less than a quarter of what I have. Sure you're a smart ass and an annoying little genius but those types of instincts take time to develop. You have them too but you're only just discovering them." I nodded. My mind was developed but my instincts were not. I had never had to use my vampire instincts so they were very new to me. She was silent for a moment then she patted my hand and continued. "There's another thing too. I get that you have the mind of an adult but for them to do to you what they did to me would have been an even greater tragedy. It lease I knew what to expect. Was it a horrific experience for me but for you..." She took a breath as if she were trying to control her emotions. I put my arms around her as I felt my own tears fall for my brave best friend.

"I still can't believe you're ok with all this. I wish I was strong like you."

"Ness..." She hesitated for a moment. "I'm happy to finally have a baby. I love her. I understand how Bella was so willing to die to have you. This love is almost supernatural and at the same time its completely normal. But as much as I love this baby, I'm not totally ok. I keep seeing him in my head every time I close my eyes. I have nightmares almost every fucking night. I get this anxious feeling in my chest like there is someone out there waiting for me and Jasper has to come in here to calm me down in case the baby feels threatened again. I keep pretending to be ok, hoping that if I say it enough times I'll start believing it but I can't help the feeling that someone is coming for me maybe even watching me."

"Leah, I'm so sorry."

"I didn't tell you this to make you feel bad. I just... I want you to know that its ok to feel afraid and to feel like shit. We went through hell, Ness. Eve can't even go to sleep without Esme or or Seth there with her."

"Its night terrors and she's also showing symptoms of severe OCD. That's why she's in here every 45 minutes to check on you. Her room has to be set in a very specific way or she starts scratching her hand until its raw. It heals up quickly but its still pretty disturbing. Dad's reading up on it more so that he can treat her." She scoffed when I mentioned dad.

"That doesn't surprise me. They want to fix us but it can't be fixed in a day. We all just need time. We all did the best we could under the circumstances and we survived."

"I didn't. I could have done more." Leah rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"You saved me and the way you took charge of the situation after you saved me shows that you got the right instincts. We're not that different."

"I just knew that I had to take care of you and the kids so I did what I had to do. It was no big deal."

"Yes it was. You did what you had to do just like I did. I sure as hell wasn't gonna let anything happen to you and its not just because you're my best friend but also because well… You ARE my niece and well I love you kid. Ok? There I said it." She wiped the one tear that did fall as I took her hand.

"Don't worry Leah. I won't let anyone know you finally admitted my mom is your sister. Or that you are starting to understand her." I said trying to lighten the mood.

"You better! I may be pregnant but I can still rip you a new one!"

* * *

Leah was the one who helped me the most in getting through my depression. For Leah it was all about protecting me. She was able to accept what happened because it meant that I was safe. For me, it was learning that its ok to be afraid and that I needed to trust myself. I didn't know I was able to take down my oppressors and that's why I hesitated instead of trying to save Leah from the start. Together, we healed each other and helped Eve as best we could. She had the most disturbing experience of all. I worried that she was just too young when it all started and that it was now the effects would be engraved in her persona but she was making some progress in her rehabilitation.

I worked hard on not allowing myself to feel impotent. I was strong and I did my best; however, it was hard to be satisfied with my best. For the first time in my life, I felt that my gift was useless. Sure, I was able to distract those two vampires but it was only for a moment. I still wished that I could be fierce like Leah or powerful like my mother. I wished so hard that I could be like my mother. She was able to push out her shield and protect everyone she loved.

Levan was sharper and quicker than Ramon. If Leah hadn't been there I might not have been able to stop him. The pain I projected onto him was sharp, distracting, but not debilitating. Had Leah not been there, I had no doubts that he would have been able to paralyze me, even through the pain I projected. The pain I projected just wasn't strong enough because I've never had to suffer physically debilitating pain. Even the pain that I felt from Ramon's bite was hardly bothersome because of my vampire abilities. I needed to feel real pain, the type of pain that could bring a vampire to his knees. There was only one person who could help me feel the pain I needed and conveniently enough she was here visiting. The question was would she?

"Absolutely not! Are you out of your mind?! Your parents would kill me and personally I don't think I can do it." Kate told me. Her eyes were uncertain but I could see that she was considering it. I had gotten her alone, under the rouge of needing to spend some quality time with old friends. I had tried my best to keep my thoughts hidden from daddy but a part of me kept listening to the forest just in case.

"This will work Kate. I was able to project the pain I felt from Ramon's bite. I just need you to shock me at full power for about a minute. That should give me enough pain to bring down my opponents."

"A minute! Nessie, you don't understand. I joke around threatening to shock my family and sometimes I may give them some low volt shocks to mess with them but it's different with you." I approached her and I took her hand. I showed her some of the times we were together when we visited Alaska. Running through the forest, catching mountain lions, playing board games, telling stories around the fireplace, all the memories she was referring to so that she would know that I loved her too. Then I showed her what happened to me, how it felt to have my body be paralyzed, Ramon touching me, being bitten, seeing Leah laying on that wretched bed. I pulled back my hand and she lowered her head.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you." She looked into my eyes for a long moment as if she was looking for something. I'm not sure what she saw but her decision was made. She was going to help me.

"Ok. Nessie. But if it gets too much just tell me to stop."

"Thank you!" I hugged her.

"Don't hug me yet. This is going to hurt."

"Don't hold back. Give me your worst." I told her. She nodded. She approached me and placed her hands on my shoulders. It only took a second for the pain to start. I tried hard not to scream but it was inevitable. The pain of being electrocuted was excruciating. It was like my insides were being fried then suddenly it stopped. I was on my knees. She held my shoulders and pulled me up to my feet.

"Nessie, look at me! Are you ok?" She asked me. I was surprised to hear the hint of emotion that touched her voice. I nodded. My body was no longer in any physical pain but my mind still recoiled at the memory.

"Ok. Your turn." She told me. I looked at her confused.

"You made me shock you. Its only fair that I make you return the favor. Besides, we need to see if this worked. I would hate for Bella to kill me for no good reason, not that I would blame her, but I'm just saying." She smiled at me. I rolled my eyes but I worried that it might not work.

"I'm not sure how to make it work."

"You need to go back to that moment. You need to be that angry and scared. Embrace it and then shock me like its them you wanna hurt." She instructed. I nodded and let the memory sweep me. I felt the anger and desperation again. I felt the utter hatred. My adrenalin was pumping and within a moment I felt my gift project out. I made sure I concentrated on the feeling of being shocked and sure enough I saw Kate fall on the floor screaming. I pulled back my gift quickly and ran towards her to help her up.

"Fuck! So that's what that feels like." She muttered to herself. We looked at each other. She had a satisfied smile on her as she examined me. She hugged me and in that very moment Jacob's massive wolf form appeared with two other wolves, my parents and uncles. Jacob! I had forgotten that he could feel everything too.

"Jake! I'm so sorry. I forgot that you would be affected too." I saw his eyes staring at me confused then he turned his head to my dad.

"She asked Kate to shock her." He said.

"She did what?!" My mom said outraged.

"Wait Bella. Nessie, show them why. Use me this time." Daddy told me. Jacob, Seth and Embry had returned in their human forms.

"Daddy, I don't have to shock you. I can just show them my memory."

"No. I want to see it for myself. I need to see it, to feel it." He explained. I nodded and again I let the anger and hate explode out of me and onto my father who I loved so much. I saw him drop to the floor and immediately I pulled back. Momma stepped forward to help him up. Jake came right up to me and hugged me.

"I don't understand. What the hell is going on?" Seth asked.

"Nessie can project pain. Physical pain only she's never really felt any serious physical pain before. That's why she asked Kate to shock her. She needed to feel it in order to project the pain though her gift." Daddy explained.

"She can project pain, like..." Garret asked disturbed. He was holding on to Kate protectively.

"Like Jane." Uncle Jasper cut him off. "Only Nessie's power can be much stronger. We've all felt her project memories to multiple people at once. Jane can only do one at a time."

"And Nessie can penetrate any shield. She could probably project pain through Alec's gifts." Dad said. Momma only looked worried.

"Look, I know how amazing this is but isn't this just going to make Aro want her more."

"Only if he knows about it. I don't think anyone here's gonna tell him." Uncle Emmett told her.

"I need this Momma. I need to not be afraid anymore." I told her. She came up to me and hugged me. Daddy walked over to Kate, took her hand and kissed it before he thanked her for what she did.

"It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that." She told him. Garret held her a little tighter when momma went up to her.

"Ok, I guess I won't have to kill you for shocking my baby." She told her, her arms were crossed as if she were still debating it. We all started laughing and she hugged Kate awkwardly.

We went back to the house and my uncles decided to start a training regimen to exercise my gift like they had done with my mom. My mom even used her shield to try to protect my unwilling guinea pigs but her shield was no match for my gift. It became easier to push out the pain. I didn't even need to get angry. I could see my power explode out of me like an elastic band that I stretched out and pulled back as I pleased. I could even use it to shock multiple people at once and I was able to choose the people I wanted to shock. Momma said that it was like her shield. She too could focus on the people she wanted to protect. The more I practiced the easier it became and by the time Leah was ready to give birth, I felt I was ready to protect them from anything.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Renesmee**

Leah had one more growth spurt before the baby arrived but this one was different. She couldn't stand the smell of blood and started craving sweets and meats. It was a particularly disturbing experience to watch her eat bacon and ham ice cream sundae. After about 8 and a half weeks of pregnancy, Leah went into labor. Grandpa was prepared with his new tools made from uncle Seth's and Jake's claws and teeth. Daddy had able to hear the baby's thoughts for the past 4 weeks so he was able to soothe the baby by talking to him or her. In the end we decided that I would be there to soothe the baby with calming images so that the baby wouldn't paralyze Leah while grandpa tried to get him or her out. Daddy was there as the backup doctor and grandma Sue and uncle Seth were there to support Leah.

"Ok everyone, you all know what you need to do. If anything goes wrong I want you to do as I say, no questions asked. So if I tell you to leave the room please do so as quickly as possible."

"We understand." Grandma Sue told him. She was a nurse so she knew that grandpa would do everything to save Leah.

"Let's begin."

Grandpa gave Leah a massive dose of localized anesthesia and we began. Leah couldn't feel anything which I was grateful for. Grandpa used both the wolf claw tools and the wolf teeth tools to cut through the placenta but the tools made from wolf tooth worked the best. It only took him a few minutes to introduce us to the newest member of the family. Daddy took the baby from grandpa for the examination. Grandpa quickly cleaned Leah's incision and closed it.

"Damn it Edward! Say something. Is he ok? Is she?" Like me, the baby didn't cry so Leah was getting anxious.

"He is perfect. Leah, meet your son." He told her with a smile and placed the clean baby boy in her arms.

"Oh my God..." She said with tears in her eyes. I was crying too as were grandma Sue and Seth. The little baby smiled at his mom, mesmerized by her. His hair was black like Leah's. He had her eyes. His nose and lips were slightly different, more like Levan. Other than that he looked exactly like Leah, he even had her smile.

"He loves you Leah. He's been anxious to meet you." Daddy told her. She looked at him and then at all of us.

"Thank you." She told us. Grandma Sue kissed her temple and touched her grandson's little hand.

"What are you going to name him?" Grandpa asked her.

"I don't know. I've only had one name in mind for a boy but I'm not sure..."

"She wants to name him after dad." Seth explained.

"Leah Clearwater! If you are suggesting that your father would be anything but proud to have his first grandson named after him..." Grandma Sue scolded quickly but uncle seth interrupted her to defend Leah.

"Ok ok. Geez mom let the woman name her own kid."

"Harry Lee Clearwater. What do you guys think?" She asked us.

"It's perfect." I told her. We heard a knock on the door and Jake popped his head through the door.

"Sooo. Can we come in now?"

"Come in knucklehead." Leah told him with a smile. It was a genuine smile, as if she was truly happy. I had never seen that smile before and I could tell by Jake's expression that he hadn't either. Jake, Emily, Embry, Eve, momma and grandpa Charlie all came in and took their places around the bed so that they could see the baby except for Emily. As usual, Emily stood back and watched from the sidelines.

"He's beautiful Leah. He looks just like you." Embry said. Leah was holding her son proudly.

"So what's his name?" Grandpa Charlie asked her. She looked at him smiling, still.

"Harry Lee Clearwater. I thought it would be nice to name him after dad."

"I think your dad would've loved that." Grandpa told her.

"Thanks Charlie."

"He really is beautiful Leah." Momma told her.

"Thanks Bella. Um... I guess you have two nephews now."

"And I'm loving every second if it. So is Alice by the way, so get ready."

"Great! Thanks for the heads up."

Leah finally spotted Emily when some of the other's started to leave so that the rest of the family could come in.

"Hey Em. Come meet your new nephew." Leah told her. Emily had tears forming in her eyes but they finally escaped by the time she reached the bed.

"He has your eyes and has uncle Harry's dimples."

"Yeah. They're cute on him."

"He'll be a little heartbreaker."

"He sure will."

"Leah. I'll let a few more guests in but I want you to get some rest after."

"Ok Doc." She said without any complaint. Grandpa looked amused before he let the others in. My vampire family came in along with Brady, Quill, and Anna. The room was full so Emily stepped out, I however, could not leave. Jake and I sat back staring at everyone ogling over Leah and Harry. Jake laughed when aunt Alice started bouncing because the clothes she got would look perfect on Harry.

"Well all I gotta say is that when it rains it pour around here so don't you start getting any ideas back there, ouch! Babe! That one hurt." Uncle Emmett complained. He was looking at Anna when he said it but he was also referring to me. Surprisingly I wasn't even remotely offended. His joke somehow brought an air of light to the otherwise dark situation.

"It was meant to hurt, you idiot! That little comment wasn't even remotely funny."

"I agree." Daddy growled at looked at me to make sure I was ok and then she smiled as if she found them comment amusing.

"I don't know aunt Rose, I thought it was pretty funny." I told them.

"See. I'm glad my niece gets me. That's why I love ya, honey." He winked at me.

"Mommy, when do I get to play with Harry." Chris asked Rosalie.

"He's still a little too young sweetie. Maybe after a few weeks." We all looked at each other and started laughing. Only in our world would a newborn baby be ready to play with a toddler in a few weeks.

"Leah. I'm getting a bath started for you in the next room and the bed is already made." Grandma told her.

"Thanks Esme. A bath sounds amazing."

"Good. You have one last round of guests, if your up for it."

"Sure." She said. Leah was a bit uncertain by her tone and by the sudden change in everyone's faces. They all stepped out and a few moments later an angry looking uncle Seth came in followed by Embry, Paul, Rachel, Jared, Kim, Emily and _Sam_. Emily had an apologetic look on her face. Leah held tighter to Harry. The boys stepped closer to see the baby but Sam and Emily stayed back.

"He's cute Leah." Rachel told her.

"Yea, that's cause he doesn't look like Seth. That would've sucked." Paul said. Jake stepped closer to the bed. I could feel his protectiveness for Leah. He was staring right at Sam who was staring at Harry.

"Are you just gonna stand there Uley or do you have something to say?" Leah asked him.

"He looks just like you." He told her. His face was uncertain and he had a hint of sadness in his eyes. Leah nodded. Sam stepped closer to the bed and so did Jake. Sam wasn't really paying attention to him. His eyes were focused on Harry as if he were seeing something that we were missing.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here before Leah, your... your baby is beautiful."

"Thanks Sam." He stared at the baby and Leah for another moment, then he turned and left the room.

"What was that about?" Paul asked Emily.

"I think he's coming around. I don't know. The past month has been tough on him and I'm afraid I haven't made it easy for him." She said, her face full of guilt.

"I say he deserves a swift kick in the ass if you ask me. All these boys do every once and a while." Rachel said.

"Yeah. Especially yours." Leah told her.

"Hey what did I do?!" Paul complained and we all started laughing. Grandpa came in at that moment with Eve. Eve was holding his hand and looking at everyone shyly again.

"Alright everyone. It's time for my patients to rest." Grandpa told us.

"I can take Harry downstairs, if you'd like." Emily told her. Leah smiled and handed Harry to Emily. She looked reluctant the entire time and Emily started laughing.

"I'll bring him right back to your room once you're done with your bath ok?"

"Thanks Em." Everyone headed out but I stayed behind to help Leah. Grandpa leaned closer to Eve and whispered something into her ear. Eve nodded and walked up to Leah.

"Would you like me to heal your C-Section?" She asked Leah. Leah nodded at her and grandpa came over to remove the clips. The wound was already healing. Eve placed her hand on Leah's belly and the wound completely healed right before our eyes.

"That was pretty awesome Eve. Thanks." Eve smiled at her proudly.

"How do you feel?" She asked her.

"I feel great actually. I'm tiered but I don't feel weak anymore." Grandpa came over to to Eve and held her to his side.

"Good job little one." They both stepped back so that Leah could sit up. She sat on the side of the bed. She was strong but she was tiered.

"I can carry you." Seth offered.

"Ha. I'm fine twerp. I just need a minute." Her head hung between her shoulders. I held out my hand to her. She looked at me for a moment and shook her head, but she took my hand and allowed me to help her up.

"Come on wonder woman. Let's get you in your bath." I told her. I guided her to the next room and onto the bathroom. Grandma Sue was already there waiting for her. Leah got undressed and went straight into her bath. She wasn't bothered by nudity so she had no problem with having me and grandma in there waiting for her to finish. Grandma told her about what happened downstairs when Sam first came in.

"I swear Leah that those boys were ready to kick him out. Embry and Seth both crossed their arms simultaneously and got the exact same expression on their faces. It would have been comical in any other situation. Sam looked apologetic enough so I told them to let him in. He said his peace so I let him see you. I hope you didn't mind."

"No, I don't mind. I just thought it was weird how he kept staring."

"Maybe he's finally coming to his senses."

"Maybe Emily finally whipped him to shape." I told them.

"Emily has really impressed me. I've always thought that I would never forgive her but after everything that happened, I finally think I can. I just don't care about what happened anymore. It seems insignificant compared to everything else we've been through."

"There's nothing like having a child to bring things into perspective. Makes you realize the things that really matter to you." Grandma told her.

"Yea. It does. I think I'm ready to get out of here and into that fancy bed. Mom, do you mind telling them to bring Harry in. I want to see him before I fall asleep."

"Of course, I'll be back." She left the bathroom and I helped Leah get out of the tub and into her pajamas. She went into the bedroom and got into the bed. Grandma Sue brought Harry in along with Seth and Jake. She handed him to Leah who looked at him adoringly again.

"It really does come at you instantly." She said as she gazed at him.

"What does?" Seth asked.

"What do you think, stupid?! The love that I feel for him. It's even stronger now than it was before. It kinda makes everything else pale in comparison." She said. Grandma sue had a glint of tear in her eye.

"It really does." Grandma told her. They both looked at each other exchanging some mother daughter understanding and then grandma Sue took Harry from Leah's arms. She kissed her daughters head.

"Sleep sweetheart. He'll be here when you wake up."

"Ok mom." She snuggled against her pillow and watched as we walked out. Only Seth stayed behind to keep her company. I couldn't help the feeling of relief knowing that both Leah and Harry were finally safe. It was over. Today was the beginning of a new life for all of us.

* * *

Jacob and I finally had a moment to ourselves. We decided to go to our field. I raced him through the trees and as soon as I got there I climbed up one of the highest trees to hide. He reaches the field and started to smell around to locate my scent. I could see his eyebrows furrow even from the distance. It was cute. I kept waiting for him to trail my scent into the trees but he did something I didn't expect. He stood perfectly still and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them he turned his head, looked directly at me and smiled. Now I was the one confused. He jogged to the tree and started climbing.

"How did you do that?" I asked him as soon as he sat next to me on the branch. His legs were on either side of the big branch so he had enough leverage to pull me closer to him.

"I told you. Our connection has gotten a lot stronger. I can sense you anywhere when I try hard enough."

"Well that's kinda stalkerish of you." I told him. He laughed.

"You don't know the half of it I'm gonna be keeping a very close eye on you from now on. I hope you don't mind."

"I never have." I told him and leaned against him to get closer.

"Sure, sure." He rested his forehead against my temple. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His arms were around my waist holding me securely to him. He looked at peace.

"Kiss me." I told him in a whisper. His head tilted a little and he looked at me amused.

"You accuse me of being a stalker and now you want me to kiss you."

"I'm a half vampire. I have weird taste."

He took my face into his hands and his lips touched mine. It was a chaste kiss at first but then his hands moved down my neck to around my back, angling me to a more comfortable position. This time I kissed him, taking his bottom lip captive. My hands found their way around his neck, using my strength to bring him closer to me, deepening the kiss. His lips were warm against mine. They were soft but strong and powerful. He tasted amazing and his scent engulfed me in a powerful trance as his kiss warmed and electrified every molecule inside me. It was as if I were addicted to the nectar they produced. I wanted to stay like that forever or at least longer than our last kiss. I was about to use my vampire strength to hold him tighter so that he couldn't break our kiss before I was ready. However, I was projecting so he heard my plan and gently pushed me away. He rested his head against my forehead this time while I pouted slightly. I didn't get a chance to kiss him properly, like I wanted to. Just like the first kiss, it was too short for my liking. I didn't get to use my tongue like people in movies but there would be plenty of time for that in the future.

"We need to have a talk about that." He told me. I could tell he was a little annoyed with me. I guess it wasn't fair that I was about to hold him captive.

"Sorry... When I kiss you I don't ever want to stop." He smiled.

"About that, I had a talk with your parents."

"Oh really? So what's the new edict?"

"Its ok actually. They trust me a lot more than I trust myself; I'll tell you that much. Your dad wants us to be happy but he also wants me to take it really slow. He said he actually wants my to set the pace and the boundaries of our relationship. So does your mom."

"Seriously. My own parents don't trust me?"

"Nope." He popped the 'p' making me smile. "We've both been through a lot, you more than anyone and I think they know that I will always protect you, even from yourself." I wasn't offended. I had been through a lot and I was still healing. My parents and Jacob always had my best interest at heart and I understood that.

"I'm still getting used to everything too. I don't feel 100% like myself so if you want to set the pace, I don't think that's going to be a problem."

"Thanks Ness. I think I'll need some time to get used to the idea of us."

"Is it because I look 14? You know that by January I'll probably be looking like a 16 year old right?" I really didn't understand this worry about my looks. My facial features made me look about 14 _now_ but it was constantly changing as was my body. And its not like he looked that much older. He could pass for a 25 year old because of his massive body but his face held a boyish quality that on any other male figure would make him no older than 21.

"I know that but your physical age is not the only problem, Ness. It's hard to go from seeing you as my little girl to seeing you as _my_ girl." I felt myself blush a bit.

"It really shouldn't be that hard. I might have been short but I haven't been a little girl for a while."

"You do know that your the age of a pre-schooler, right?" I rolled my eyes at him.

"Haha. That may be true, smart ass, but I am not human. Humans don't even start to develop the ability to reason and think at the level that I did at birth until they're around 7 or 8 years old _and_ their brains don't fully mature until they're 25. That's why they have so many milestones. They need all those experiences. I had the ability to remember, reason, process information, and even communicate from the womb. Unlike humans, I was born with a fully developed brain."

"So what? That still doesn't make you older."

"Of course it does! For the past four years, I've been able to process everything and think like an adult can. Humans don't have that ability because they don't even have a fully developed brain until they reach their mid-20s. So if you think about it, I am actually older than you." I grinned at him and wiggled my brows once. Jake laughed out loud throwing his head back. It was a healthy laugh that always made me smile.

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Ness. But younger or older you're still a high school girl and I am a grown man."

"I'm only pretending to be in high school. I could have asked my parents to enroll me in college just as easily."

"But you didn't because high school is a right of passage and I want you, no, I _need_ you to have that experience. We are going to take this _real_ slow. We can kiss but no making out, no dates other than hanging out how we normally do, and no trying to seduce me or anything like that." He narrowed his eyes at me and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"I told you before Jake. I'm ok with slow. I just want us to be ok with feeling the way we do. I don't want you to feel like you are doing something wrong."

"I don't feel that way anymore. I didn't understand what I was feeling before and I was scared because, with the rest of my brothers it came so fast and so hard. They weren't in control and when it comes to you I have to feel like I'm in control. If I ever hurt you I..." I touched his cheek and he looked into my eyes.

"Stop. I know the difference now. You are simply not capable of that. You would never hurt me. What we have isn't about sex or anything else inappropriate. Its about this..." I placed my hand over his heart and I showed him some of my memories favorite memories. The way he looked at me at my birthday party. Dancing with him. Riding our bikes together. Cliff diving at LaPush beach. All those things that I treasured because he was my soul mate and I was his. That's what this was about. I removed my hand and he kissed my lips again softly.

"I didn't get that before. That's why I panicked but I get it now. I didn't notice it before because it was so slow and subtle but things have been changing between us since your birthday." I smiled glad that he was able to admit this.

"I blame your aunt and her stupid silver dress and then that white dress for your prom night. I've never seen you look so grown up and beautiful. I swear that I think she did that on purpose. Like that darn fairy waved a magic wand at you and made you change from a teenager to a young woman overnight!" I laughed out loud at his confession.

"More like she waved her magic credit card. I'm going to have to buy aunt Alice something really nice for Christmas this year."

"Me too." He said smiling.

"And Jacob?"

"Yeah?" He looked into my eyes and I was struck by all the love I saw in them.

"I love you." I told him. I had said that to him a thousand times but it was different this time and he understood. He stroked my cheek with the back of his fingers, while still keeping eye contact with me, before he finally answered.

"I love you too."

* * *

**Carlisle**

The moment I saw that Leah's baby was a boy I began my experiments. It just didn't make any sense. Even if the sperm wasn't coated venom we know that male DNA carries the gene for venom. This is why only male hybrids are venomous and the female ones are not. I looked at Leah's blood samples and it reacted to venom as all wolves do. The venom killed the wolf cells without the reanimation that occurs with humans. The interesting reaction came when I tested venom on Harry's blood. It had no reaction. I became suspicious so I tested Renesmee and Nahuel's blood with venom and they also did not react. All I could conclude was that hybrids do not react to venom but it still didn't explain how DNA that carries venom was able to blend with wolf DNA. I tried a different approach. I took Jake and Leah's DNA and mixed it with my DNA instead of my venom. I expected the same thing that happened with my venom to happen with the DNA samples but it didn't. In fact, nothing happened. It seemed that vampire venom was different from vampire DNA were different.

"Interesting." I heard Edward's voice behind me. I barely noticed him coming in through the door.

"Do you see something that I haven't yet?" I asked my son.

"Felix had mentioned that Davy discovered sperm is different from venom."

"Sperm carries DNA through a physical connection. It may be what activates the DNA." He nodded.

"We may never be able to get a true experiment in a lab setting." He suggested. I thought about this too, but I still had to try.

"Perhaps you are right. However, do you mind if I used your DNA?"

"Of course not. I'll assist you."

We re-tested the experiment and something amazing happened. Edward's venom had the same effect as mine but his DNA did not. It was almost as if Edward's and the wolf DNA sample's neutralized each other and then they blended perfectly. I was shocked.

"I think it's safe to say that it's the DNA. Not the venom." This only brought more questions. What was different about Edward's DNA.

"Let's replicate this with the rest of the family." Edward came back a few moments later with the samples we needed. The venom experiments showed the same results. Wolf DNA was killed by the venom and hybrid DNA did not react. However, the DNA interactions were different. The Bella, Esme, Jasper, and Alice's DNA blended with the wold DNA but for Emmett and Rosalie there was no effect. We could have concluded that only the DNA of gifted vampires can blend with wolf DNA but the problem was Esme. Her DNA blended with the wolves'.

"Esme aside we can make the assumption that vampire gifts are at the DNA level."

"We've already suspected this. Bella and many other gifted vampires showed signs of their gifts when they were human."

"True but now we have a way to confirm it. All we need is a non-gifted vampire like you but whose DNA is likely to blend with a wolf's DNA like Esme."

"Who do have in mind?"

"Nahuel. Nahuel isn't gifted and he is only a half vampire so of all the non gifted vampires we know, his DNA is most likely to blend with wolf DNA because he is half human as well. If our hypothesis is true then the DNA should not blend but because he isn't gifted. But if its not true then it must have something to do with why Esme's DNA blended."

"Let us try."

We ran the experiments but it was no use. Nahuel's DNA blended with all the wolves' we tested just like Esme's. We even manipulated Nahuel's DNA to factor out his half human properties but it still blended with the wolves. I sighed, frustrated.

"Why don't we try again tomorrow? You don't have to come up with the answer tonight." Edward told me. I was tempted to leave it alone all together but I simply had to discover the answer.

"I have some sample DNA from some human's. I think I will try some control experiments and then I'll rest for tonight." Edward sighed and patted my shoulder.

"Ok. I'll help you." He smiled at me as if he knew that I would not be able to give up.

"Thank you, son."

We ran the experiments on a few human samples I got from the hospital and three of the imprints so that I could have control group of eight. Something amazing happened with my control group. All the imprint samples blended with both the vampire and the wolf DNA but only one of the hospital samples reacted the same, a young boy named Gabriel who came to the hospital with a broken leg. My son looked at me with the same look of confusion that I suspected I had.

"I think we need to look more closely at these DNA samples. There must be a common denominator that we're missing."

"Do we have the equipment to study the cells further?"

"Yes." I pulled out my equipment so that we could analyze the cells at a molecular level. We started with the human DNA looking at different aspects form shape and form of the cells to the genetic components to the mitochondrial DNA. This is where we made the greatest discovery in vampire history as well as the most dangerous one.

We found that the mitochondrial of every wolf, human, and vampire sample whose DNA positively blended shared a common ancestor which was present in the the mitochondrial DNA. To take it one step further, we even found that gifted vampires had a stronger presence to this common ancestor compared to Esme and Nahuel who were not gifted. We even tested Charlie and Renee because we knew that they both had potential to become gifted vampires since they produced a daughter that was gifted even as a human. We confirmed that both Charlie and Renee's bloodline that carried the common ancestor and Charlie's was the stronger carrier. This was why Edward had difficulty reading Charlie when he first met him but when the DNA was combined with Renee to conceive Bella it created a stronger DNA pattern. One that created a powerful vampire. In fact, Edward, Bella, and Nessie had the strongest connection to this ancestor. Nahuel shares a connection but it is weak, like Esme's this is why neither of them is gifted yet their DNA's still blended with the wolves'.

"This is why Eve is gifted even though her biological father was not. Ramon could detect the potential gift in the human women. If her mother had the potential to become a gifted vampire then she must have had this strong mitochondrial link. Her father could also have a weak link to this ancestor. I suspect that it is essential for the female to have this link to the ancestor in order to conceive a child It is possible that Joham does not have a link but the women he impregnated did. That is why he was able to conceive children with some women but not with others otherwise Joham would have hundreds of children." Edward concluded.

"Esme and Nahuel also have a link to this ancestor but it is weaker, that is why they are not gifted. Perhaps if both parents have a the common ancestor, then the child they concieve will be gifted, like Renesmee."

"To conceive a child yes but not necessarily to produce a gifted vampire hybrid. Nahuel is not gifted." He reminded me.

"No but for vampires, the stronger the link to this ancestor the better chances of being gifted. Esme's DNA blended but it took longer. Her link to this ancestor was weak, whereas, my DNA did not blend at all because I am not linked to this ancestor." I stopped for a moment as the graveness of our discovery hit me.

"Edward if the Volturi discover this." My voice was almost a whisper as I filled with dread.

"I know. They will have the missing link. All they would need is to test humans for this common ancestor through their mitochondrial DNA and they can conceive as many children as they desire or create as many gifted vampires as they need by testing how closely related they are to this ancestor."

"Every human with a strong link to this ancestor will be almost guaranteed to become a gifted vampire. Edward... They would be unstoppable. And the imprints would all be in danger. They all tested positive."

"Carlisle..." I looked into my son's terrified eyes as we both realized we had made a terrible mistake.

"No one can know of this, son. Aro can never touch you. You must prevent this at all cost. Not just to keep them from getting stronger but also to keep the imprints safe."

"I know dad. I know." I sat on my lab stool, suddenly exhausted.

"I'm so sorry son. If I had just stopped searching..."

"We had to know. For Leah and for our children but they can never know the truth. As for Aro, I will kill him before I ever let him know this."

"Edward..." I gasped. If Edward tried to take Aro, he would be killed. My son would be destroyed.

"We can't let him know, no matter the cost. You don't know what Aro is capable of but I do. I've seen his evil in Felix's mind. He showed me Aro's true nature and if the time comes, I will use this knowledge to expose him and bring him down. Felix gave me everything I need. If the opportunity ever arises, I will defeat him."

"Edward you know how I feel about you, my son. I trust you, but please, if it comes down to you and Aro let me do this for you instead." Aro was an ancient. He was a skilled warrior even without his brothers but he was never without Caius and Marcus. If Edward took him on he would have to fight all three. He would not succeed.

"I don't think it will ever come down to that. But I promise you that if it ever does I will let you kill him first." There was never any question in my mind about how I felt about any of my children but I was never a physically affectionate father. Over the years and with the arrival of my first granddaughter, I changed my ways so, when I felt the sudden urge to hold my first son, I took him in my arms with little hesitation. I loved him. And the thought of losing my son to Aro was overwhelming.

"I will be ok Carlisle. I promise." He said as I let him go. "And by the way..."

"Yes?"

"I love you too, dad."

* * *

**A/N: I know that this last section with Carlisle is confusing but the genetic component of this scene is going to become very important in the next two installments of the immortal saga, so store it away for later and hopefully it will become crystal clear by immortal continuum. I know that you are all thinking 'WTF!' but as said before, there is usually a reason for my madness but if you find it too confusing feel free to PM me and I can explain more. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter is new, please review! :)**

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Leah**

The more I looked at my son the more fascinated I became. He looked like me and a little bit like my dad which I was grateful for. I didn't want anything of that bastard Levan in my precious son but the nose was definitely non-Clearwater. I could live with it though. Carlisle kept measuring him every hour and taking samples of his blood and saliva to try to figure out how come he was a boy. I already knew why. He was a miracle. My miracle. After five days of being in the house recovering and an influx of both Cullen and Denali vampires ogling over my son, I finally got to go home. Mom, Emily, Rachel and Nessie had gotten together to get the house ready since Sam would literally shit bricks if we let a leech through to our territory.

Of course, the Cullens were busy getting their own house ready for their new family members. I really was happy for them. Eve was possibly one of the most amazing kids I ever met. She was kind, brave and smart. She didn't understand a lot of things at first and was very scared of the men in the family but little by little she was getting better. She was smart and she understood that Levan and Ramon did was wrong. She was still a bit shy but she became involved when it came to something she was passionate about. I could already tell how much the little twirp loved my brother which automatically made me like her. Seth would go over the top trying to make her giggle which wasn't too often. She would mostly smile. It was kinda cute in that nauseating lovie dovie imprint way. Eve really liked Carlisle and Esme. She loved gardening with Esme and she would sit on Carlisle lap reading medical books with him almost every afternoon. Carlisle was the only man she took to other than my brother. I think even Edward was a little jealous of it. He wanted so bad to help her but he was starting to realize that it would just take time.

Chris was already adopting Emmett's personality. He was a little brat and no one but Rose could keep him at bay. He and Harry were getting along great. Harry wasn't as advanced as the hybrids but Chis and my son had some sort of secret language that only they understood. Rosalie always made sure that Chris was careful with Harry and she adored him as much as her own son. It made me glad because if anyone on this planet knew how precious those two were it was Rosalie. Rosalie and I had secretly become friends over the past couple of months. She would bring Chris to my room to play and we would both get a laugh at all the crazy things he would come up with. Bella and Nessie would often join us and towards the end of my stay with the Cullens, Eve, Esme and Alice would join in. It was strange that I could actually find things in common with the leeches but I did. Unlike Bella, I actually loved fashion. I wasn't as obsessed as the little she devil pixie but I could hold my own.

Bella and I only had two things in common, Nessie and Jacob but seeing as we were stepsisters we tried to make it work. We actually found a similar interest in movies. I wasn't much of a reader but I loved all those sappy movies that were originally classic novels. We had a few movie nights with the girls while the boys took Chris out to teach him God knows what. I would never admit this to them but I was going to miss living with them. I would especially miss the room service. Esme, Bella and Edward were unbelievable cooks. Esme's cinnamon rolls alone could make you orgasm. I really had to get the recipe for those. Aw well. I was home and there's nothing like being at home.

"So what do you think?" Nessie asked me as soon we walked up to the house. Mom had moved in with Charlie so Seth and I got the house, but after Seth left for college the house became mine.

"I love it!" I told her. They repainted the entire house. When I entered through the door, my jaw actually dropped. I saw new furniture pieces mixed with the old ones. They also did some unnecessary child friendly upgrades including hardwood floors instead of the shaggy stained carpet I had before. As they walked me through, I saw they also did a little work in the kitchen and I had all new appliances, granite counter tops, and a new larger layout. I'm pretty sure the cabinets were new too.

"Oh my God! What did you guys do?"

"Well you know how aunt Alice gets. And the boys helped put a lot of the stuff together. And grandma Sue and grandpa got you the new sofa." Nessie informed me. I couldn't even believe it. I had tears welling in my eyes so I blinked a few times to try to get them to go away. I sure as hell wasn't going to get emotional over a house makeover in front of everybody.

"This is awesome. Thanks you." I told her quickly. She just smiled at me her little Nessie smile like already knew how much this meant to me.

"Girl, you haven't even seen the upstairs. All we really did down here is paint and wallpaper. We put in some new floors and appliances come see what we did to your old room." Rachel said as if that list she mentioned was nothing.

Rachel grabbed my hand after I handed Harry to mom and she pulled me up the stairs. Emily and Nessie followed right after us. I could hear the boys opening the fridge and eating my food already. I hadn't been here for 10 minutes and they were already eating my food! They walked me into Seth's old room and I was shocked. The room had been transformed into a mature and modern guestroom for when Seth came home from college. Not that he would be spending any time here but if he did he definitely had a nice room to stay in. They took me to my old room and this time I actually gasped when I saw the nursery. Damn it! it was really cute and to my taste. Nothing too cutesy, but perfect for a little boy. They converted the master bedroom into a suite by adding a new bathroom. It made the room a bit smaller but it was nice to have my own bathroom for once. The room looked like a luxury hotel room and the bathroom looked like a spa. It was also to my taste which made me wonder how the little pixie knew what I liked. I sat on the corner of my new bed and took it all in.

"I can't believe you guys did this for me."

"The Cullens wanted to buy you a whole new house." Emily said. I opened my eyes wider.

"Yeah, like I said. You know how aunt Alice gets but I thought this might be a happy medium. At least until we get you used to the Cullen treatment."

"Yeah, I can definitely see why Jacob jumped ship."

"I heard that!" I heard him say from downstairs loud enough so that everyone could hear. They all laughed.

"Alright, I guess you didn't do an awful job."

"That means she loves it." Emily translated to Nessie. When did they become friends?

"Of course she does. Nessie did a great job decorating. You should have your own HGTV show!" Rachel told her.

"Wait, you decorated?"

"Yeah, I know your taste better so aunt Alice consulted me on a lot of stuff. She wanted to make sure you liked everything." She told me.

"You did good kid. Rachel's right. You could have your own show. I can't even believe this is the same house. It looks like something out of a magazine!"

Mom and Emily cooked some supper for us and I got to spend my first night at home with my son. He would outgrow his crib soon but at least he was growing as a slower rate than Nessie did. Carlisle was still looking into that.

* * *

It took him about a week after I moved home before Carlisle finally called us in. We decided to let Sam and a few of his pack member's in the meeting since Harry would be living in the reservation and Sam's pack needed to be aware of any changes that Harry would be going through.

"It seems Harry more than just a combination of wolf and vampire. We tried many tests and what we found is that some vampire DNA can mix with wolf DNA and some can't. Venom is lethal to wolves regardless of the vampire but DNA is different. When we joined wolf and vampire DNA the cells not only blend they neutralize each other and in Harry's case mutate at the molecular level. For all intents and purposes, Harry is a new breed. We don't know if he will phase or not, we don't know if he will become thirsty as he did when he was in the womb but we do know that he is not human. He's an immortal."

"What do you mean by become thirsty? Is he not thirsty now?" Sam asked.

"No." I answered, fighting the urge to go across the room and punch him in the face, "He eats human food. I ate human food all throughout my pregnancy except for a few days when he was craving blood."

"Wait so you drank blood?!" Jared asked me disgusted.

"Of course she did moron. It was for the baby." Jacob growled at him.

"All I am saying is that this may be a possibility and when he does you will have to take him hunting in our grounds." Carlisle said to bring us back on track.

"Can he be dangerous?" Sam asked and was rewarded with several hateful looks.

"No. Harry is exceptionally smart like Nessie and the other hybrids, he's just not as matured as they were. However, he understands what he is and what he must do if cravings emerge. I don't think he will be any danger. His development will be a little different. The growth spurts we saw during Leah's pregnancy have continued. He grows at steady pace, slow for a hybrid, but steady and then suddenly he has a rapid growth spurt for a period of time, then his growth slows back to his normal rate."

"Why is it happening this way? Was it the same for Nahuel? Duilio grew at a pretty steady rate."

"So did Nahuel. Like I said this isn't typical for hybrids. The growth spurts are further apart so there's a possibility that they might disappear but in any rate he will be developing faster than a human but slower than a hybrid if the growth spurts disappear. If they so stop completely, he would be full grown by 10 to 12 years but with his growth spurts continue it will be impossible to determine."

"So the only danger is exposure." Sam said again. He was looking at Carlisle trying to avoid the glares around the room.

"That won't be a problem. I don't plan to go back to school. I'm going to take him to the Cullen's for homeschooling with Chris and Eve so you won't have to worry about that. It's a quick run, anyway."

"Wait, so you're not gonna work. What will you do for income?" Collin asked.

"Leah is family. We take care of our family. None one in the pack has to worry about finances. Our family indebted to you and we have no problems helping out whenever you need. Alice would be more than happy to help any of you invest your own money, if you are more comfortable with that." Carlisle explained but Collin still had that I'm too stupid to understand look on his face so Jake stepped in for me.

"The Cullens and my pack are a family. We take care of each other. This is also the most practical option considering the circumstances." He told them.

"Fine. It seems you have everything under control. I already told the council that you and the baby could stay on our lands and that the new hybrids are also allowed with supervision until they proved that they are as controlled as Nessie." Sam told me. I was shocked. I couldn't believe he had already given the council the ok and he okayed Chris and Eve without us having to fight him! He got up and started heading out of the Cullen's house. I went outside because I wanted to talk to him. My cynical side simply couldn't believe that same was ok with this.

"Sam, wait."

"What?"

"Why are you being so supportive all of a sudden?"

"You've been through enough Leah. I'm not here to make your life more difficult. As long as our tribe is safe, I don't see any reason why your son can't live in the reservation."

"That's... really cool of you." I said skeptically.

"This isn't easy for me Leah. You don't deserve what happened to you but I've always known you'd be a great mother. You deserve that chance. And Harry really is a good kid. I was wrong before and I get that now."

"Thanks." I said still skeptical but I let it go I could see that he was still struggling. I felt Jacob put his arm around my shoulder and lean against me for support. We watched as the rest of them left.

"That wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would go."

"Yea well. It's Sam so who knows what the hell is up his manties."

"You ok about Harry?"

"My kid is special. I already knew that."

"True. He's gonna be ok."

Harry was my priority. He was already starting to loose his baby qualities. It made me sad that I would be skipping so much but since I decided not to work I didn't really have to miss anything. I was in the Cullen payroll which allowed me to teach the kids, make enough money to cover all of my expenses and then some. My principal was a bit upset but after I explained some of what happened she let me go without a fight. I actually managed to convince Nessie to go back to school in January so life pretty much returned back to normal with one exception. I was a mom and I was terrified.

The fear was my own paranoia. I was raped and my brain was not processing that very well. I kept it together for my son. He was my anchor, my whole world. It was easiest to put all of my concentration on him so that I didn't have to think about how I felt like someone was watching me. Or how I woke up an night in sweats because I had another nightmare about Levan. My son brought me so much peace and happiness that I simply couldn't let him out of my sight and the other's were starting to notice. So I got better at pretending, just like they got better at seeing what they wanted to see, me getting better.

* * *

**Renesmee**

Little by little life continued on its own. Leah, Eve and I worked together and we decided to leave the darkness behind us and concentrated on all the love we had at present. Leah was able to step right into the role of home school teacher. She became very close to my family to the point that she was as much family as Jacob or Seth. To my family, she was no longer Jacob's beta or just one of the wolves, she was family. The biggest surprise was her friendship with Rosalie. It was nice to see that aunt Rose finally had a female friend in the house. The entire family took active roles in educating the three new members of my family as they had done with me. Eve, Chris, and Harry were like brothers and sister. They played together and got into trouble together. Every once and a while they would include me in their games, but I was more like a big sister to them.

Eve, Leah and I also became quick friends. Eve was very fun to be around even with her issues. Slowly but surely, she started growing to be a spunky and edgy type of girl. She started accepting the men in the family, especially, Chis and Harry. She could keep up with the boys just fine. Chris was very affectionate. He was the typical guy, always interested in the latest video game or sports gear that came out on the market. He was a hybrid so his interests were always more advanced but he took after his dad in the sense that he was lighthearted like uncle Emmett. He had the ability to sense everyone around him as far as 2-3 miles away. Being that aware of the people around him made him preoccupied with what everyone was doing. He was always up to something, switching back and forth between the people or things that interested him. Harry was calmer than Chris and more like a human child than Chris was. His body still matured quickly but not as quickly as Chris. His mind was also closer to the age his body would represent but not exactly. He learned to talk within a couple a months instead of a week. He could hold a conversation with the complexity of an adult by the time he turned one. His body held the rounded soft features of a child rather than the angular proportions of a miniature adult like the rest of hybrids did. He liked taking his time to take things in. He was very protective of his mother and very considerate of her. Harry wasn't as affectionate as Chris who would easily give you hugs and kisses, instead he let his actions show how much he cared. He was very cautious and always tried to understand things from other people's perspective. In that sense he was very much like uncle Seth. Nevertheless, he still had his mother's attitude and mouth at times.

I was glad Leah convinced me to return to school. Shortly after I returned to the rez school, I realized that I had grown out of my high school years. I had missed my friends a lot and I missed the monotony of high school drama; however, by my second year in high school I was done with the high school experience. School drama just wasn't as amusing and I think my friends could tell that I was humoring them when we talked. I finally confessed how I felt to Anna and she forgave me. Reminded me that I have always been more advanced than her but that pretty soon we would all be in college and hopefully at the same level. I was ready to start the next stage of my life. I was ready to start college so I decided to take accelerated classes so that I could graduate a year and a half early. It meant that I started college a semester before Anna and Carol but they understood that I needed to move on.

Jacob was a big part of my decision. Our relationship was pretty much the same as it was before except that he finally allowed me to kiss him. But even in that arena he had all sorts of rules and restrictions. He would always put a stop to things whenever I tried to deepen our kissing. I finally looked old enough to be with him in public but he still didn't feel comfortable about it so I didn't try to push it. I started getting inpatient with him after I finally looked like an 18 year old and he still refused to let us get passed 1st base but I hopped that I would be able to sway him when we started college.

The entire family both vampire and shape shifter, moved to New Hampshire. The only non-imprinted wolf in Jake's pack was Embry so he decided to move with us to go to school. Uncle Seth and my father were starting medical school, Jacob and momma decided to major in liberal arts, Embry majored in business and I was also double majoring in art and music. The rest of the family stayed home to continue with the kid's education.

The family was divided into four homes deep in the forest. The main house, aunt Rose and Emmett's house, my parent's house, and the wolf den (as we liked to call it). However, this atrrangement only lasted for a semester. Once July came along, Carol, Anna and Brady joined us at Dartmouth. I was thrilled to have my friends with me but it was getting crowded in the 'wolf den'. Daddy suggested that Uncle Seth, Embry, Jake, Brady and Anna, Carol and I should get our own place near the university instead of living with the family. Uncle Seth declined the offer because he wanted to be close to Eve and Harry. Embry had been complaining about not being able to bring girls home so he was thrilled at the idea.

I really thought things would change between Jacob and I since I started college but it didn't. Not really. I was getting frustrated in more ways than one. I had a feeling that it was dad who was responsible Jake's hesitation to go beyond French kissing and holding hands so I was surprised when dad suggested I move out. It was strange packing up all my belongings but at the same time it was perfectly normal. I was a college student and I would finally be living on my own.

"You all packed, baby." Jacob asked from the door.

"Yeah, I'm just taking half the closet. I can always come back to get something if I need it. We're not that far."

"Or you can just get a whole new wardrobe!" Aunt Alice chimed in.

"Leave her alone Alice. My baby moving out is traumatizing enough." I heard momma tell her from downstairs.

"Don't be silly Bella! She's only twenty minutes away by car."

"Or ten with your driving." I told her.

"Ten minutes too far." She said. I could picture her pouting with her arms crossed downstairs.

I picked up my last box and headed out to my normal life.

The apartment was amazing, it was large, beautiful and pet friendly so that Daisy could come with me too. The boys' apartment was on the same floor as ours. We were on the top floor and both apartments took the entire floor so we didn't have to worry about loud neighbors. The apartments were already decorated by the time we moved in. The girls were delighted.

"This is the last box." Daddy said as he came into the apartment. The entire day he had a big smile on his face. He kept giving me an amused look every time I stared at him. Even momma thought it was odd.

"I thought for sure he'd be all gloom and doom. He's really freaking me out!" Leah said as she helped me unpack.

"I know! I haven't known him for that long but it is kinda strange. Its like he's happy she's moving out." Anna commented.

"Maybe he's happy in a good way. His daughter is entering a new stage of her life. He might be happy for her." Carol told them.

"Can't a father just be in a good mood?" Daddy said from the living room.

"Not if the father is you." Leah told him with a smirk as he walked onto my room.

"Well I am just happy because my little girl is all grown up. I'm proud of you." He told me.

"Thank you daddy, but I still think you're up to something." He rolled his eyes at me.

"I'm going to help the boys. I'm taking everyone out to dinner once you are done here. You ladies are all invited of course." He told my friends then he left. Momma, who was folding my t-shirts, stared at him as he left.

"Yep. He's definitely up to something." I giggled, unable to help myself, and we all finished unpacking.

We arrived at the restaurant around seven. The wolves were ravenous as always so daddy made sure to choose a restaurant that served big portions. The restaurant was not busy but it was still a popular restaurant on campus so daddy had called ahead to reserve some tables. We made our way in and the waitress let us to a private room. I caught the scent before we even reached the room. I made my way to the front and nearly ran through the doors.

"Duli!" I shrieked. He stood and smiled at me. I ran towards him at human speed. He caught me easily. He looked so different. No longer the man-boy, but a handsome young man. He looked like he was in his mid-teens maybe older. He was handsome, tall, and mysterious. He seemed more reserved but I could still see the love in his eyes. He hugged me just as warmly as I did and then he let me go so that he could hug momma. I looked at my father's satisfied face and I understood why he was in such a good mood today.

"You knew!" I accused him. He nodded and gave me his half smile. Everyone sat as they said their hellos to Duilio. I sat between him and Jacob.

"So what'cha doing on our side of the world?" Jake asked him.

"I'm here to fulfill my study abroad requirement for school. Dartmouth is an excellent school so I convinced Marcus to let me spend the semester here. Marcus trusts that I will be safe here so he allowed it. I was just as surprised as you all are. He only sent one guard member who will be staying with Mom and Dad for a while. She is trustworthy so you should have nothing to worry about."

"Marcus sent a letter to Carlisle last month. That's why we got you boys the larger apartment." Dad told us.

"Wait. He'll be staying with us? On the campus full of drunk college students?" Jake asked. I pinched him.

"I understand your concerns Jacob but I can assure you that you don't need to worry about me. I've been a Cullen before."

"I'm sorry kid. I'm really happy you're here but this is a college campus. Are you sure you can handle it?" Jake asked as he rubbed his side.

"I'm confident that I can. This is your territory. I can respect that."

"Yeah, I guess I already know that. Welcome home, kid." Jacob reached over and messed his hair to make his point. I touched his hand and told him 'Thank you' using my gift. This was going to be an amazing semester!


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Renesmee**

This was the first time that I felt like a college student. I was loved living with my friends and with my boyfriend living across the hall. Jacob came every morning for breakfast and we all took turns on dinner. Jake would often walk me to my classes and he drove me back home every day after classes.

"Who's cooking tonight?" Jacob asked as we parked outside our building.

"It's Duli's turn so I'm guessing we're having Italian."

"Awesome! His lasagna rivals Esme's and the garlic bread…" His eyes glazed over and I bursted into laughter.

"You are so easy to please." He smiled my favorite Jacob smile. We got to the boys' apartment and everyone was there. Even Leah drove down for Duilio's lasagna. Leah and Carol were setting the table. Anna and Brady were in a corner talking and laughing. Embry was helping Duilio with the garlic bread which was his favorite part of the meal.

"Where's Seth?" Jake asked as we entered.

"He's got midterm tomorrow so he and Edward are having an extra study session."

"Anna and Duli made tiramisu for tonight!" Brady told Jake as he sat next to them.

"Not until after dinner!" Anna warned him. Brady rolled his eyes at her but she caught him and pinched his nipple.

"Hey!"

"That's what you get for rolling your eyes at me." We all laughed and I went to the kitchen to help out.

"Hello beautiful." Duilio said when I walked up to him and handed me the salad spinner.

"How was class?" I asked him as he chopped some more vegetables.

"It was fine. Philosophy." He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and that was the end of the conversation. Ever since he came back he had been very quiet and reserved. He didn't joke around or flirt with the girls which was very strange. Jake said he was just maturing but I knew better. He was kind, as always, but he wasn't himself. He looked at me again. His eyes narrowed probably because he saw the worry in my aura. He smiled shaking his head. I heard him murmur 'worry wart' under his breath and he come over to toss the vegetables into the salad spinner. I finished the salad and set it on the table. Everyone was already sitting at the table talking. I sat next to Jacob and rested my legs on his lap. I wasn't tiered but I felt more comfortable when we were touching somehow.

"So Leah are you excited about starting your master's next semester." Duli asked her as he set two lasagnas on the table.

"I'm only taking one class and only because Rosalie practically threatened to poison my food if I didn't. She's such a hypocrite. She says its not healthy that I am always with my son but she's always with hers!"

"That's not true. Momma, aunt Alice, and grandma Esme babysit for her all the time but you never let Harry out of your sight." I reminded her.

"Hell! I'm here aren't I? And Harry is at home with Esme." She complained.

"Well that's only cause your stomach is stronger than your maternal instincts." Jacob teased.

"Shut up Black! I'm here cause I missed my best friend and I don't mean you! Duli's lasagna is just a bonus."

"I can come make my lasagna for you any time you like, Leah. Just say the word." Duli told her with a smile.

"And that is why I love you Little V." We all laughed. Leah had given him the nickname Little V for her little Volturi which also worked well as little vampire.

"Take notes Duli. The way to a wolf's heart is through her stomach." I told him. Leah threw a napkin at me as Duilio brought the rest of the lasagnas to the table. We had four ovens between both apartments so there was always plenty of food.

"Dig in."

"Don't gotta tell me twice." Embry said as he shoveled a plateful of lasagna. Thankfully, Duilio had used up all the ovens to make six of them. And enough garlic bread to feed an army. We all ate our dinner and drank wine until it was almost midnight. Leah left early so that she could tuck in Harry, Anna decided to spend the night with Brady and Carol left to lock herself in her room to chat with Stephen. Only Duilio, Embry, Jake and myself stayed behind to watch a movie. I was tucked away on Jacob's lap so cozily that I was starting to feel sleepy.

"Better get her to bed before she starts snoring and ruins the movie." Embry told Jacob. I threw one of the pillows towards his head but he caught it easily.

"I don't snore." I said in a very matter of fact tone.

"Sorry, Sis but you do sometimes." Duilio gave me his half smile, mocking me.

"Alright baby. Let's get you to bed." Jacob stood, carrying me in his arms. He walked over to my apartment and into my room. He laid me in bed gently. I held on to his neck so that he couldn't pull away.

"Stay." I asked him. He smiled and kissed my lips. His strong arms were on either side of me as he climbed into my bed. He leaned closer to me to kiss my cheek, my chin, and then my neck... I definitely was not sleepy anymore. I wrapped my legs around his waist to pull him closer, needing to feel his weight on me. He was aroused and so was I. His tongue found the sensitive spot at the base of my neck and he suctioned it creating a soft pressure that caused every cell in my body to react. I moaned and instinctive pressed myself against him to subdue the warmth that collected between my legs. He hissed and rubbed his hardness against me in a slow rhythm that caused me to ignite. He took my lips captive and changed his rhythm to an almost frantic pace. This is when I realized that I was projecting my arousal to him. And my thoughts too.

"Shit Ness. We have to stop."

"Why?" I whined as I cursed myself for realizing I was projecting. He would have never known if I had not projected my little realization.

"Because I brought to here to sleep not to have sex."

"Please Jake." I asked him desperately.

He looked into my eyes. I could see the uncertainty in his eyes. He rested his forehead against mine and kissed the tip of my nose.

"I love you Renesmee. But I'm not ready."

"Is that true? Or are you just saying that because you think I'm not ready." I tried not to sound annoyed or angry but I couldn't help it. My anger dissolved when he did something I didn't expect, something he had never done before. He stared directly into my eyes as slipped his hand inside my pants and lightly stroked his fingers between my legs, feeling the moisture that had pooled there through my underwear. He groaned. I bit my lower lip in a vague attempt to stop myself from moaning but it escaped anyway. He removed his hand and I almost whimpered.

"It's not nice to tease me."

"Trust me Ness. I know you are ready and there is nothing more than I want than you at this very moment than to make you mine but I can't. Please don't push me to."

"I won't. I didn't mean to use my gift on you."

"I know. I'm gonna take a quick shower and then I'll come back to sleep over but you gotta take a shower too and change the sheets or the scent in here is gonna make my cold shower pointless." I giggled and nodded.

"Ok. Don't take too long, though."

"I won't unless your brother decides to kill me when I walk in smelling like this."

"You could just stay and make your death worthwhile."

He laughed his throaty Jacob laugh, throwing his head back. It calmed down to a chuckle and he kissed my lips lightly.

"You are worth it regardless. Now go take a shower." He said as he got up. He smiled and walked out the door. As disappointed as I was I was glad that at least he agreed to sleep over so I counted my blessings and did as he asked.

Jacob would spend most nights with me studying and then he would return to his apartment. Only on some occasion would he sleep over in my room. So I always cherished those few nights he graced my bed with his presence. The next day, it was always a bit awkward with my brother around knowing Jake slept in my bed. Duilio always watched us closely when he was around us. I could tell Duilio was a little disturbed by the change in our relationship but he never said anything. Once a week, Duilio and I would spend the afternoon together to go hunting. It was wonderful having him around, even if it was only for the semester.

"You and Jacob seem to be getting closer." He finally got the courage to bring up the subject.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"I hate to say this but I can see you are getting increasingly aroused when you are around him. So is he."

"Duli! You are my little brother. I don't want you seeing that."

"I can't really help it. Besides, smelling my sister's arousal on her boyfriend happens to be much MUCH worse." He made a disgusted face and shook his head as if he were trying to shake the image out of his head.

"Oh God, Duli! I'm sorry."

"As much as I would like rip his member off, I also see how much you two love each other. If you feel ready, I give you my blessing and I'll even help you out with dad when the time comes."

"I don't even want to think about what daddy would say. But I don't think anything is going to happen. He said he's not ready and on top of that, Jacob is momma's best friend. He respects her and daddy too much to do anything. As frustrating as it is, I understand that he is in a difficult situation. I don't want to put a strain in our relationship or theirs."

"That's my Ness. Always thinking of others first. Just make sure you don't put a strain on Jake's junk cause I doubt Carlisle will want to treat that."

"Duilio Marco!" I smacked his arm and he smiled at me. His eyes were full of mischief and I almost saw a bit of his old self.

"But seriously, if you decide you can't wait please do it in your apartment. Or even better, go to hotel and shower before you come back." I shoved him lightly and he laughed. It wasn't his normal laugh but I'd take what I could get.

"How about you? Seen any girls you like on campus?" I saw his expression change instantly. He eyes looked pained and almost as instantly as is came, it was gone.

"Naw, why would I go look for girls on campus when I am surrounded by such beautiful women at home?" He said quickly. Duli has a tendency to use flattery to redirect you from asking questions he didn't want to answer, but I wasn't going to fall for it this time.

"What is going on, Duli? I've been trying to give you space and time but I'm really getting worried." He sighed and dropped to the ground by one of the larger trees. He leaned his head back against the tree closing his eyes. I sat next to him and took his hand.

"Tell me. You know I will never judge you."

"You say that, but you don't know what I've done."

"I love you. I'll always love you no matter what." He looked at me for a moment as if he were trying to decide. I don't know what he saw but he finally opened up to me.

"I know you're not going to like this but I've killed people Ness. You knew that already but what you don't know is that everyone I've murdered disserved to die. I know that dad had the same dilemma. He went after the bad men too, but he still felt wrong about it. I don't. I can see their souls. I know these men and women I kill are worthless, dark and undeserving of life. I don't feel guilty Ness. I did what I had to do to make this world a better place." He said with anger. I saw a little less of my brother and more of the deadly Volturi when he said this. Sometimes it felt like he had two personalities, like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide. I tried not to how my discomfort.

"Ok. So what does this have to do with you dating?"

"I know the wolves would disagree but I'm not a monster Renesmee. I've never considered myself a monster until last year. I never realized what I was capable of."

"What happened?"

"Her name was Aria. She was beautiful. Dark hair, dark eyes, clear luscious skin. I saw her at the piazza eating gelato. She was trying to eat it quickly so that it wouldn't melt. I was mesmerized by her beauty, but it was her soul that truly captivated me.

"I introduced myself and I could see that she was attracted to me instantly. We called each other and finally we decided to go out on a date. I even introduced myself to her parents. We dated for three months…" He sighed again and I saw a glimmer of silver in his eyes.

"You fell in love with her." He nodded.

"I told her on our three month anniversary. She told me she loved me too but I already knew that of course. That night we decided to make our relationship physical. We went to a ravine we loved to swim in. It was isolated, beautiful and perfect for us. I should have known better than to take her somewhere so isolated but I wanted us to have some privacy. I wasn't prepared for what happens to us when we get intimate. I lost control and I didn't even notice her screams had changed to screams of pain. I broke her bones during the act, she was bleeding and I couldn't hold back. I drank from her…" His tears were flowing freely as were mine. I put my arms around him. He didn't hug me back. He stayed as still as a statue.

"I couldn't stop, Ness. All that emotion, lust, adrenaline overpowered me. I drained her. When it was over and I saw her mangled body, I didn't know what to do. I buried her there and I left Volterra. I was planning on never going back but I knew they would come for me.

"Demetri found me in two days. Marcus was with him. I don't know what I expected from him but he certainly surprised me. Marcus sent Demetri away and then he put his arms around me and held me. It was the first time he ever held me like that. I cried into his shoulder and he just held me, silently. When we got back to Volterra, I found out they had taken care of everything. They sent an email to her parents saying that she was running away, got train tickets using her credit cards, and even paid witnesses to report seeing her on the train. They expected me to go back to normal but I wasn't the same anymore. I had this overwhelming anger and bitterness inside me. I've been driving them crazy. I've been insolent and in Volterra, that type of instability can get you killed. I think that's why Marcus allowed me to come here. He is hoping I can find myself again and its working. Being here, living this life is so easy. I've missed home so much."

"Why didn't you come home to us in the first place?"

"I saw the disappointment you had when I first came here with red flecs in my eyes. I couldn't face that disappointment again. I loved her, Nessie. I didn't mean to kill her. I'm not a monster. I'm not." He said almost angrily. My heart ached and I remembered that not too long ago Eve had said some similar. 'I'm not bad', she told me as she justified her killings. It made me wonder what I would say if I ever slipped.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I need your disappointment. I need a reminder what I've done, of what it makes me."

"You are not your mistakes, Duli. This is who you are." I showed him images of our childhood. I showed him my memory of him, his kindness, his consideration and need to make all of us happy so that our colors would shine brighter. Even all those tricks we played had a purpose. Billy got a new wheelchair, Emily got her home painted, grandpa got his kitchen organized. He had always been good and one bad thing could not erase that.

"I'm not saying don't feel sorry because you absolutely should. The woman you love is gone but it was an accident Duli. We can't help what we are. People die every day. We are as much a part of nature and life and death as a car accident. Maybe it was her time. Maybe you should just cherish the short time you had with her. "

"And then what? Move on?" He chuckled humorlessly. "You don't know what this is like."

"I know guilt. I had to deal with guilt for a long time."

"Its not the same. You never killed anyone."

"I didn't?" He looked at me with a questioning expression and I realized there was no getting out of telling him how I felt. I tried to avoid it because I didn't want to dwell on the darkness but certain events in your life leave a mark.

"At first I felt guilty about what happened to Leah. As I started to heal from that pain I started to really think about what I did and I realized that there was something else I felt guilty about. Eve's father was in league with Levan and Ramon, but once he had his daughter, he changed and fought to protect her. Marcus didn't want you at first and even _he_ changed his mind about you. What if Ramon and Levan would have changed their minds about their kids? What if they would have become good fathers after they met them? Chris and Harry are never going to know their father's because I killed them."

"That's not the same thing. They raped Leah. They were going to rape you."

"I had a good reason for what I did but it doesn't change the fact that I turned them to ash and it wasn't an accident. It was intentional. I could have ripped them apart and left them there but I didn't. I burned them because they hurt me and Leah and I let my rage and instincts take over. They didn't get a trial. I killed them, because I could, because they were vampires and they hurt me and nobody was going to judge me otherwise, but does that mean that I should get away with murder? Chris and Harry are still young but one day they are going to realize this. What do I tell them? What do I tell my two little cousins when they ask me why I didn't allow them a chance to know their fathers?"

"I doubt that Chris and Harry would judge you, Ness. Especially Harry. You know how protective he is of his mother."

"I know. And I hope that's true. But my point to this story was that you can't let the guilt eat you alive. When I feel like I am drowning I let Jacob pull me to the surface again. As horrible as it was, you can't change what happened. You have to let it go and you have to let the people that love you help you."

"How's that been working out for you?" He asked sarcastically. He knew every well that I still felt guilty.

"I didn't say I mastered it yet but I'm trying to work on it. I've gotten over my guilt about what happened to Leah. Leah and Jacob helped me a lot with that. Love can be very healing."

"Its hard to find healing love in Volterra."

"That's why we're here. Let us help you." He sighed and nodded.

"Thanks sis. I will. I promise. So, have you talked to Jake or mom and dad about feeling guilty for burning those vampires?"

"No, I haven't told anyone about this. Not even Jacob. He wouldn't understand. Unless their eyes are yellow, he doesn't see killing vampires as murder. I never talk to him about these things."

"That's a pretty big thing to are part vampire and you are immortal. Forever is a long time not to make mistakes."

"I know but I'm scared. He's a wolf and I am part vampire. He doesn't know the fine line that separates me from the monster."I whispered. He took my hand and kissed it.

"I know."

"Jacob will always love you, no mater what. You are very lucky to have him."

"I know I am. I wish you could find that love too."

"I thought I did."

"You know what I mean."

"You wish I had an imprinter."

"Yes." He smiled sadly.

"I'm venomous and I am a Volturi. A wolf in Volterra tied to venomous bloodsucker is a fate that I don't wish on my worst enemy."

"Well if a wolf imprinted on you, maybe you could finally come home."

"I doubt Marcus would ever let me go. I'm the only good thing in his life. Besides, he also needs me. He is trying to restore what Aro has destroyed. There's a lot of evil out there and a lot of mistakes have been made. As much as I love you all, you guys don't need me. I am glad that I can make our world better and more importantly, with me in Volterra, I know that you will always be protected."

"I'm the older one. I should be the one protecting you."

"True but I do it so much better." He smiled at me. I smiled back. We both got up and headed back to the apartment, hand in hand.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Jacob**

I knew Nessie was out with her brother so I went out to the bar with the guys. Watching Embry make a fool of himself was particularly amusing but I missed my girl so I called it a night early and waited for her in the apartment.

"Hey Jake. Had fun with the guys?" Carol asked me as soon as I walked in. She was on the couch with Daisy watching tv and working on her computer.

"Yeah. Embry had a drink thrown in his face so I decided I had enough fun for one night."

"That idiot! I can't wait till he imprints. He needs to be tamed already."

"He just needs to grow the hell up but I'm sure he grow out of this Barney phase soon enough." I told her. If she only knew why he was really acting that way, she wouldn't be so annoyed. She laughed and I walked into the kitchen to fix myself a sandwich.

"Hey is this ice cream yours?"

"No its Anna's and she's PMSing so touch it at your own peril."

"Naw, definitely not worth it." I put the strawberry cheesecake ice cream back in the freezer with a lot of effort and I sat next to Carol.

"You chatting with Steven?"

"Yea. I can't wait till he graduates and can finally join us over here. I miss him so much."

"He'll be here soon. Duli's just keeping his room warm for the semester but you know that as soon as he graduates, that room is all his."

"I know. I'm really going to miss Duli though. Nessie's going to be so sad."

"Yeah. Its been nice having him back home. Really nice. Its like the whole time he's been gone I've had a knot in my stomach." Even though he was older, I still felt guilty at the thought of him going back to Volterra. Duli felt like a part of my family and the wolf recognized it too. It was like going against my nature to let one of my family go into harms way. I wanted to protect him from them but I couldn't. I heard the elevator doors open in the hall and Nessie's voice filled the hallway. A few moments later she walked in through the door with Duilio behind her.

"Hi beautiful. Had fun hunting?" I tried to ignore the hint of worry she was feeling and I just smiled at her as if nothing was wrong.

"Yeah. It was good." She said. Her voice was a bit strained as if she had been crying. I set the half eaten sandwich on the table and I went up to her. I saw Duilio take my plate and stated eating my sandwich as he sat next to Carol. I tried to suppress the growl that was building. My girl was upset and that was more important than a half leech eating my sandwich. I took her in my arms and kissed her head.

"Hey, let's go up to the roof." I suggested. She looked at her brother and he nodded at her as if giving her permission. I wasn't sure what was happening but I bit my tongue and led her back to the elevator so that we could have some privacy up at the rooftop deck. She smiled at me and kissed my lips softly when we got to the rooftop garden. After it was done she walked to one of the lawn chairs and sat down.

"I love it out here. Grandma and Eve did a good job with the garden. Did you see the new flowers they put up last week?" She asked me without looking at me. She was avoiding me. I smiled at her feeble attempt and sat in the chair next to hers.

"Yea. I did. They are a pretty good team aren't they?"

"They are." She finally looked at me. Her eyes were swimming in tears. She wordlessly took my hand and I braced myself for what she had to show me. I saw the conversation he had with Duilio and I felt the intense and conflicting emotions she felt. She was worried about him but she also was heartbroken for his loss. She was also heartbroken because she held some hope that he would stay with us and now she understood that, as long as his father still needed him, he would never leave his father. Most of all, she was scared that her brother would be changed forever by what happened. That he would never find love again. She took her hand of mine but I immediately took it back. She looked down at our hands so I used my other hand to take her chin and bring her eyes up to meet mine.

"I'm sorry about what happened to that girl." I felt sorry for the kid. Ness could tell right off the bat that something was wrong with Duli but I just thought he had finally grown up. I never even dreamed that it was this. " I can tell that he really loved her." I continued.

"He really did."

"Maybe your dad should talk to him."

"He doesn't want to. He's too ashamed." She explained.

"It was an accident. He didn't mean to hurt her. Still… You know this changes things a bit. I'm gonna have to keep a closer watch on him."

"Don't be ridiculous, Jacob! Nobody is in danger. Making love is a powerful thing for a vampire. He's so young, he couldn't possibly have been prepared for that."

"I know that, baby. I know that it was an accident and that he's a good kid but it would be irresponsible of me not to. He's not like you. He's used to human blood and now he's unstable."

I saw her get up angrily. She went up to the edge of the building and looked down at the neighboring forest view.

"Your right. This is what you do. So are you going to put me under surveillance too?"

"You haven't killed anyone Ness." I tried to keep the accusation out of my voice but I couldn't help the doubt seep through. She turned around and looked at me. Her eyes were narrowed as if she was weighting whether or not she should tell me she was about to say.

"I drink your blood all the time. I drink donated blood sometimes, I was kidnapped, my best friend was raped. I am the epitome of unstable and I have killed before." I was struck by her words and it took me a moment to process what she was saying. My mind was suddenly invaded with the familiar memory of Nessie ripping those two bastards apart. Even though I had seen the image before she had never shown me what she felt the moment she killed them. I never felt such strong raw animal instincts before. Not even when I first phased. I felt the satisfaction she felt in killing them and how unsure it made her feel about herself. She was scared about the idea of losing control and she was scared that she had the potential inside her.

"Its not the same thing Ness."

"Why? Because they were leeches. I'm a leech too."

"That is not what I meant. You did what you had to so to save yourself, Leah and the kids."

"I killed two of my own kind without remorse." She looked away from me again and there was a long silence.

"How long have you been feeling this way?" I asked her. I couldn't believe I have never heard of this before. Edward never mentioned it either. Was she right? Was she capable of loosing control. Sam and I fought about this on numerous occasions when Nessie was young and then again about Eve and the boys. I've always defended them. I knew our kids were good kids but feeling Nessie's feral and raw vampire instincts made me realize that there was more to it that I even wanted to admit to myself.

"Since I realized I didn't just kill my attackers but I also killed Chris and Harry's fathers." I couldn't help the shiver of rage that ran through my body. I swallowed hard, trying to calm myself, and walked to the edge of the building to look at the forest with her. I thought we were past the whole kidnapping but maybe we weren't. The image of Leah fidgeting through dinner because she was away from her son also came to my mind.

"Those leeches were monsters. They were going to rape you and they had already rapped Leah. Harry and Chris are better off without them."

"I know. But they were still sentient beings. What's to say that they wouldn't have changed for their children? Marcus did and he's over 2000 years old."

"No. They were murderers and rapists."

"Joham is also a murderer and rapist, and he's still roaming free. Why haven't we gone to kill him?" She looked straight into my eyes. "Because he hasn't come after me?"

"We could kill him if that's what's worrying you."

"Of course its not! That's not the point Jacob. You don't get it. This is why I never talk to you about this. You let your hatred for my kind cloud the fact that even the most deadly of my kind has the ability to love, to change, just like Marcus, like Carlisle, like Garret, like my own father. Yes, I killed two murderous vampires but I also killed two fathers. I should feel bad about it. That's the difference between being human and a monster. I am just as deadly as they are. I have that potential inside of me every day. What will happen the day that my instincts overpower me? What will you do when I meet the one human that makes my monster come out?"

"You won't. You are stronger and your heart far greater than anyone I've ever met."

"Forever is a very long time. I have eternity to slip up. We have to be realistic, Jacob. It can happen and I'm not sure you will love me or want me when it does."

"I will always love you Ness. No matter what happens but if you ever go after a human, I will stop you. I won't hurt you, I won't stop loving or wanting you, but I WILL stop you."

"And then what?"

"And then I will forgive you and I will help you through the pain and guilt that I know you will feel. Just like you are going to be there fore your brother. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you before. I wish you would have told me how you felt about killing Levan and Ramon."

She shrugged and looked away from me again. I walked towards her and wrapped my arms around her. She leaned back against me. I started to consider what she was telling me. Levan and Ramon would have been dead either way. The Cullens and the pack would have ripped them apart for coming after our girls but Nessie never saw vampires as the enemy. Frankly, I didn't either. Those lines were blurred after the battle with the Volturi. All I had to do was thin of Garrett as proof. He was a good man who made Kate very happy. Nahuel and Hulien also murdered people for over a century before they became animal drinkers. Hulien was a kind protective mother. Like Esme. All three of them were redeemable but that was only because they never raped women or mistreated little children. Still, Nessie was too kind hearted to not feel guilty about this. I had to try to see this from her eyes.

"I think I'm starting to understand what you are saying. Its easy to let the hate and prejudice take over. It makes it a little easier to live with yourself. I've killed several vampires. I was lucky because I never had to know their names or their families. They might have been newborns but they still had families, right? Maybe they could have been taught control like Jasper. Maybe they could have still been part of their family's life like Bella and Charlie. I mean, Charlie doesn't even care that his daughter is 'undead'. He's just glad to have her. It could have been like that for any of the vampires I killed. I never really considered it till now." I rested my chin on her head and contemplated on my words. I couldn't even remember their faces. All those people died and I didn't even have the decency to mourn them because they were turned to vampires and I hated them all. Many of them are still listed under missing people. Their families will never get a chance to know what really happened to them.

"Most mature vampires lived for decades or centuries, but those newborns were all young. They barely had a chance at a life, human or otherwise. It's sad, don't you think?" She asked me.

"It is." I kissed the top of her head and I held on to her tighter. "We all have that potential inside of us. Look at Emily. If she hadn't been Sam's imprint I'm sure she wouldn't even be alive today. I could hurt someone too."

"You won't but if you do, I'll stop you too. I won't let you hurt anyone either. Sometimes we take our powers and our strength for granted. We all need to be careful. I think Duilio is the most trustworthy of us all because he had to learn that lesson the hard way, like Sam." I nodded, agreeing with her logic. After Sam hurt Emily, his self-control was unmatched. Even _I_ envy his ability. I felt her sadness ebb but the scent of her tears lingered in the air and mixed with the scent of my own tears. She turned and looked at me. She touched my cheek gently.

"I'm sorry I made you feel sad. Sometimes ignorance is bliss; maybe I shouldn't have said anything."

"No. I'm glad you shared this with me. It's something that we all should consider. Besides, I don't ever want you to think that you can't talk to me about something that's bothering you. I will always be here for you, baby. Always." She smiled at me with that kind wise smile that was beyond her years. I was glad she opened up to me. It was moments like these that brought us closer.

"I promise you that I will be honest with you about everything from now on."

"Good." I kissed the tip of her nose and I heard her hear flutter.

"Want to watch the sun set with me?" She asked me. I smiled and pulled her over to the lawn furniture. We laid there together and talked about lighter subjects until we both fell asleep. When I woke up it was morning and Nessie was laying on my chest. I breathed in her scent contently. I loved this woman so much. I loved waking up to her in my arms. We were sleeping together more often now and it made me long to have her near me whenever she didn't sleep with me. How amazing would it be to have her wake up in my bed every single morning as my wife. I looked at her beautiful sleepy face and caught her eyes flutter. She looked a little confused. It was cute.

"Good morning beautiful." I told her and kissed her nose. She looked into my eyes and smiled.

"Good morning. I guess we fell asleep." She started to get up so I let her go. We end downstairs to her apartment and I was surprised to see Duli had made breakfast.

"This is a nice spread, kid." I told him.

"I was hoping if I feed you, you'd let me stay." He said. I knew that he was kidding but there was a slight uncertainty about him.

"Of course you can stay. We all make mistakes. I'm just sorry you had to go through that." He nodded. Carol came out of her room rubbing her face sleepily.

"Wow, what's all this?"

"Duli made us breakfast." Nessie told her as she sat.

"You are going to make some girl very happy one day." Carol told him as she sat on the table. Duli smiled sadly and I couldn't help my heart break for the kid. I put my arm around him.

"Come on kid. I'll help you set the table. You're making me look bad." I tried to give him a sympathetic smile and helped him out with breakfast. Anna and the guys joined us a few moments later and we had a nice family breakfast. I looked around at the people at the table and realized my family was growing and would always be growing. It had different types of people, not all of them human, but it was still my family. There was something very powerful about that. I felt like we could get through anything as long as we were together. Duilio, Nessie, Leah, and Eve would all be ok because of this right here. Moments like this. With Duli smiling and whispering something to Ness that made her giggle, Carol throwing her head back in laughter as Embry told her about the previous night. Anna with her face red from laughing so hard and Brady shaking his head. Leah wasn't here but I could almost see her in my head having breakfast at the Cullens. Laughing at her son's and Chris's escapades. Sure, there was darkness in our lives but the moments like this outweighed the darkness. Moments like these were worth everything.

* * *

We spend the day at the Cullens before returning home. Ness and I decided to run home so that we could spend some time together, alone. We were walking by a rocky trail when she stopped.

"What?"

"Yesterday was an emotional day. Let's go do something fun. Just the two of us." She suggested.

"What'cha have in mind?"

"We could go swimming. We haven't done that in a while and we are close to our favorite spot from here."

"Sure. How about I race ya?" I made sure no one was watching since we were on a trail and I ran at inhuman speed through the woods. She ran after me. She was fast, as fast as some vampires which was uncommon for a hybrid. We all guessed that she inherited her speed from Edward and it made up for the fact that she was only a hybrid. By the time I got to the river she was close enough that I could hear her heart beat race faster. I heard her musical giggle before I felt her pounce on my back.

"You're not supposed to hitch a ride on a race, cheater."

"Sure, sure." She said so close to my ear that I felt her sweet breath stroke my skin and cause me to shiver. She must have felt it too because she took my ear lobe in her mouth and started to lightly suckle it. I heard the moan escape me before I could stop it.

"Ness… I thought we came out here to swim not torture me."

"I can do both." She whispered in a sultry voice. "I am an excellent multi-tasker." She hopped off my back by leaping over me in a twist that made her look like a gymnast. Then she ran towards the lake that connected to the river, shedding her clothes in the process. My heart started racing when I saw her beautiful figure. She was wearing boy shorts and sporty bra with some kind of animal print. Zebra? It was sexy as hell and I felt myself get aroused instantly. Ness was constantly testing the boundaries that I drew in our relationship. The worst was when she projected her arousal. It was bad enough dealing with my horniness but when she projected hers it was like my wolf literally wanted to jump out of me and take its mate. I couldn't do that to my girl. I had to stay under control.

On top of that, I had to respect her parent's wishes. Edward and Bella have been very good to me and very tolerant of the fact that I started dating their daughter while she was still in high school but it was getting too hard to stay away from her. I wanted to marry her but I know she still had so much to experience before she was a wife and I wanted her to have this whole college experience without having a husband cramping her style but I really don't think I can wait longer; I didn't think I could wait four years to marry her.

Seeing her dive into the water was electrifying. He taught muscles moved flawlessly to form a perfect arrow that pierced the water.

_'What'cha waiting for wolf?'_ I heard her voice in my head as she emerged from the water. I removed my shirt and shoes and jumped into the water making the biggest splash I possibly could. I could hear her musical giggle even under the water.

"Jerk!" She splashed water on my face and shrieked when I swam after her. I caught her easily but only because she let me. She twisted in my arms to face me and wrapped her legs around my torso for support.

"I thought you were going to stop trying to seduce me."

"No. I said that I won't push you to do something you're not ready for, I didn't say anything about not trying to persuade you. Persuading and pushing are not the same thing. Besides, its not like I'm wearing see-through lace or anything."

I shook my head at her. I felt my member twitch at the image of her in see-through underwear. I grabbed her bottom pressing her closer to me.

"Sometimes I really think you're trying to kill me." I was staring at her cleavage so I looked up and saw her beautiful smile.

"You're strong man Jacob Black. I think you can take it." She whispered into my ear and then she winked at me. Her smile grew as she looked into my eyes. Sometime when she smiled at me like that it was like I was falling in love with her all over again. I took her bottom lip and kissed her softly. I heart was beating faster and I could feel a warm intense pressure in the middle of my chest. I was pretty sure she could feel it through our connection. It was too intense not to. It was like the love I felt for her literally wanted to explode out of my chest.

"Marry me." The words escaped my mouth the moment my lips were free. If I thought my heart was beating fast before, I was wrong. Her eyes widened and her mouth popped open. I could see in her eyes that I was wearing the same expression as her. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before I saw a tear escape her eye.

"Do you mean it or was this just in the heat of the moment?" Her eyes expressed a vulnerability that I had never seen before. She was scared.

"It _was_ in the heat of the moment," her gaze dropped down to the space between us so I took her chin and lifted is so that our eyes could meet. "But I meant _every_ word."

She pressed her lips against mine so hard it made us float back a bit. I could taste her tears as she kissed me furiously, but it was her thoughts that took my breath way. The moment she kissed me my mind was flooded with images of her in a white gown walking down towards me. I was in a suit. Then it changed to us at the meadow in Forks chasing after a little boy. He had black hair light skin but not as light as Nessie's. He had her musical laugh which grew louder when I scooped him up in my arms and spun him. The image then changed to a pregnant Nessie looking at herself in the mirror. I approached her and put my arms around her and in that very instant the image changed again to one of us making love. All the images flashed in my head within a couple of seconds which meant her thought were erratic. She was excited. She pulled back and hugged me. I hugged her tightly pressing her even further to me as I kissed her ear, her neck, her shoulder; any piece of skin I could reach.

"Yes, Jacob. I'll marry you." She finally told me.

* * *

By the time we got home, it was late. I left Nessie in her room to shower and change for bed and I went back to my apartment to do the same. I had barely closed the door before I felt a cold hand grab me from behind. Within a millisecond, I was pinned against the back wall of the apartment by the neck. Edward glared at me with furious black eyes.

"Edward, man, this is not the way to go about it." Embry shut his mouth the moment Edward looked at him.

"Explain to me why Alice had a vision of your and my daughter's wedding invitation?" Before I could stop myself, my mind immediately went to the lake. He growled, holding my neck tighter.

"I asked her to marry me." I told him point blank, trying to keep my voice steady. I really should've been pissed at having a damn leech pin me against a wall but somehow all I felt was hurt. I didn't even fight back.

"Come on dad. Nessie will be hurt if she knew you were acting this way." Duilio put his hand on Edward's shoulder. Edward immediately glared at him but the moment he did his expression changed. He looked at his son, then he looked at me and back to him again. I guessed Duilio was having a mental conversation with him. Duilio nodded at him and Edward let me go. A few pieces of plaster fell on the floor the moment he dropped me and I was pretty sure my neck was bruised.

"He's right. I'm sorry for hurting you, Jacob."

"I'm fine. You didn't break anything."

"That's not what I meant." I nodded. He was apologizing for hurting my feelings. Well that was a first!

"I'm sorry I didn't talk to you guys first. It was sort of spur of the moment."

"I can see that." He took a deep unnecessary breath and walked over to the couch. He sat, leaning against his knees and holding his head in his hands.

"This really shouldn't have come as a surprise. I wanted her to feel more grown up and I wanted you both to have some semblance a normal life. That's why I sent you all here. I knew something like this would happen eventually. I just didn't expect it to be so soon or that I would feel this way when this happened." I was confused. I looked at Embry and he shrugged his shoulders. I looked at Duilio as he stared at his surrogate father.

"You're heartbroken." He told Edward. Edward nodded. I was a bit taken aback by this revelation. I felt sorry for him. It couldn't be easy watching your little girl grow up so fast and then have to marry her off to a guy you sort of hate.

"I don't hate you Jacob. You're my family. You're a good man and I should be happy that you'll officially be a part of our family. But you're right, this is not easy. I just thought I had more time to get ready to let her go."

"We don't have to get married immediately. We can wait off for a couple of years when she graduates. I don't even have her ring yet." Almost as soon as I said it I hated the idea. I didn't want to wait but seeing Edward like this wasn't exactly easy.

"I think my daughter would disagree about waiting. Alice's vision was pretty clear. The date is set, you've got seven months to get her ring but I suggest you call Billy and get the ring soon because I don't think my daughter will be happy with you if you wait too long to give it to her." My heart was beating faster again. Seven months. I could see her so clearly now, walking down that aisle towards me. Edward got up and came towards me. He stretched out his hand. I shook his hand but then he pulled me towards him and hugged me. I couldn't believe this was happening.

"Just don't get her pregnant until after she graduates. My heart may not be beating but I don't think I could take a surprise like that too soon after this one."

"Oh come on. Grandpa Eddie has a nice ring to it." Embry held up his hands when Edward gave him his death glare. Duilio was staring at us quietly. His expression changed when Embry mentioned grandpa Edward but it immediately changed back. Edward head snapped towards him and he looked at him worried look. I wondered if Duilio was thinking about the girl he fell for. Duilio came over and he gave me a hug.

"Congratulations." Was all he said and he sat on the couch while Embry came over and congratulated me too.

"I think I'm going to head back. Why don't you both come to the house tomorrow and make your announcement. Actually, you all should come. Esme and I will fire up the barbecue."

"Just make sure you hold on tight to Bella when he tells her." Embry suggested.

"I will." He told him smirking then he turned to Duilio. "Walk home with me." Duilio nodded.

"Sure. Come on old man; let's make sure you get home ok." He teased as he put an arm around Edward. When they stood side by side like that they looked like they could be brothers.

"Funny." Edward messed up his hair and they both walked out the door.

"Well I survived the father and the brother. It should all be downhill from here."

"You still have to tell her mother."

"You really think Bella will have a problem with it?"

"I don't know, man. She's _your_ best friend."

"I don't know why but I really think she'll be cool about it."

"Wishful thinking?"

"I guess we'll find out tomorrow."


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Leah**

Something was up. My alpha looked like he was about ready to shit rocks. Edward looked off and so did Duli. Renesmee was nervous and Bella looked as suspicious as I was. Yeah, something was definitely up.

"What's wrong mom?" Harry stopped playing soccer with Chris. He had this very annoying way of knowing what I was feeling.

"I'm fine sweetheart. I just smell something funny, that's all." I gave him a wink and he smiled at me.

"Hey Harry, hurry up!" Chris called him with a soccer ball in his hand and my little miracle went running over to him to play. Sometimes I would wonder if he was real but the large scar on my body would remind me he was. I tried not to think about the past for his sake and Nessie's but ever since I was raped, I just couldn't feel safe.

As soon as I left the Cullen's house to live in my own home I felt like someone was watching me. I had nightmares that those bastards were coming back to take Harry away from me. Some nights it was them, other nights it was the Volturi and once, the first night at my house, it was Sam's pack. I almost phased when I woke up from that particular nightmare. Embry was the only one who knew and after about two weeks living in the house by myself, he moved in with me. The nightmares stopped once he was living there, but, of course, that only brought a whole different set of troubles. Now I had Seth in the house and I was living close to the Cullens but I still felt like I was being watched and for some reason it was drawing me to the skies. I would have dreams of flying all the time.

I wondered if Harry could sense my paranoia. He was always so protective of me. It couldn't be healthy for him to be worried all the time for me. Embry said that he felt the same way about his mom until she got married. I still worried though. I guess worrying is just part of motherhood. Rosalie swore that if she was human, her hair would be grey because of Chris. Those two were always getting into trouble. They were ten times worse than Duli and Nessie. They always hunted out of rage, they broke into people's houses at night. They called the police on one of the neighbors who was beating his wife. That one I didn't mind as much but they still were a handful. I think the best part of their trouble making was seeing Emmett, of all people, step up to the plate and be a parent. The dude could be scary when he wanted to be and those boys were no match for him especially when he and Jasper stood up to them together.

I was getting the feeling of being watched again, my best friend sat next to me and rested her curly head on my shoulder.

"What's going on kid? My wolfy senses are telling me that you are hiding something." She straightened up to look at me in the eyes. It was a challenge.

"I can MAKE you tell me." I threatened.

"Fine." She said with a fake pout and she put her hand on my cheek. I saw her and Jake in the water. He asked her to marry him! I actually choked on my own saliva. Nessie patted my pack.

"Geez Leah, you need to slow down when you swallow." She said sarcastically. I looked at her then at my alpha. No wonder he was fucking nervous. I wondered why Edward hadn't cut his nuts off yet. Maybe, he was waiting for Bella to do it. I heard Eddie chuckle by the barbecue.

_'I love him so much! Do you think we're crazy?'_ She asked me with her mind. I looked at her and I swear it was as if she morphed to a little girl right before my eyes. But she wasn't a little girl anymore. She was a young woman.

"Of course I do." Nudged her with my shoulder. "But it don't mean I don't think it's awesome." She hugged me immediately. I got used to the hugging. The whole damn family loved hugging.

"Your grammar is atrocious. I can't believe you were my teacher."

"Shut up!" We both laughed as Esme announced the food was ready. We all lined up, well, those of us who ate, and we got a plateful of food before we sat on some of the picnic tables. Of course this is when my genius alpha decides to announce his engagement, when all the people who could protect him were distracted by food.

"Hey guys, before you start eating, I want to make an announcement."

"Hurry up man. I'm starving." My idiot brother announced. Edward was close enough to give swat him in the back of the head so I didn't have to get up. Nessie walked over to him and took his hand.

"I proposed to Nessie and she said yes. We're getting married." He told us but he looked straight at Bella.

"Is my niece pregnant, mutt?" Rosalie said in a growl.

"Aunt Rose! Of course not!" Ness gave her and angry look. She rolled her eyes and smiled at her.

"Momma?" Nessie said looking only at her mother. Bella's face was like a statue. It was kinda freaky. She looked at her daughter and she looked at Jake and she smiled at him. She actually smiled! She walked over to them at human speed while the rest of us stared and she hugged her daughter.

"Congratulations, baby. You will make a beautiful bride." She told her after she kissed her cheek. Jake looked like he was about to have a stroke. Bella turned to him and punched him in the arm.

"You should have at least warned me, jerk! By the way, you get my baby pregnant before she graduates and I'll let Edward castrate you, got it! I am way too young to be a grandma." Edward came over to hug and congratulate his daughter as Bella gave Jake the death glare.

"Oh come on Bells! You'd be a great grandma." She punched him again but Jake just laughed it off and then they hugged. Jake kissed the top of her head and whispered, "Thanks Bells" even though we could all hear. That was when the little pixie let out a shriek of excitement and started driving us crazy with wedding crap. It was going to be a damn long engagement for all of us!

* * *

Jacob and Renesmee left for LaPush to announce their engagement. Embry went with them just in case the Chief decided to shoot Jake though Rosalie claimed that she wouldn't be that lucky. I was home doing laundry when I heard someone knock at my door. I was surprised to see who it was.

"Hi Leah." Duilio stood at the door.

"Duli? Come in Little V."

"Sometimes I don't know which worst, Duli or Little V."

"You know you love them both." He smiled at me that crooked smile that he copied from Edward only on Duilio it was charming, not annoying.

"No but I know you love calling me nicknames so I let you."

"Let me! Little V I think you need to be reminded who's boss here."

"My dear, I would let you remind me any day." He gave me that panty wetting smile but it caused the opposite effect on me.

"Boy I practically changed your diapers, so stop looking at me like that." He laughed softly. It wasn't his usual laugh but I was glad he was finally joking around like he used to. He had been so weird since he got here but after reading what happened to him from Jake's memories, I wasn't surprised. Harry came over and looked at us suspiciously, well looking at Duilio. I could tell he just woke up from his nap.

"What are _you_ doing here?" He asked Duli with his arms crossed.

"I came to hang out with you. We haven't had a chance to spend time together and its not every day I get to spend time with a half vampire half wolf hybrid, that is, if your lovely mother will let you out hunting with me."

"Mom?"

"If one hair comes back out of place, it will be your ass Little V."

"You got it my lovely Leah." Harry shoved him in the stomach.

"Stop that!" He told him almost growling. Duilio smiled at him. I could tell Duli liked him.

"Alright. Are you ready? I'll race you to the middle of the forest." Harry sped out at top speed out the door and Duli ran off after him. I knew he was safe but I was too curious so I followed them into the forest in my wolf form. Harry was showing off by pounding his fist into every surface he could find. Even though he was almost two, he was still childlike and innocent, which was odd for a hybrid. I knew it wouldn't last long though. Nessie grew out of her doll stage in less than a year. Actually, Ness only played with dolls to humor us but Harry was a little more immature than the hybrids. I didn't mind. I liked that he actually acted like a kid.

"That's pretty cool kid." Duilio told him.

"Do you like my mom?" Harry asked him. I almost laughed at the thought.

"Of course I do. But not in the way you think. Your mom and I are not meant for one another. She'll find her true mate one day and she'll imprint."

"I wish she would imprint on uncle Embry. I like him." I felt a pang of guilt when I heard him say that. We tried to hide is from him and everyone else as best we could but I guess we weren't as discrete at we thought. Embry had taken a lot of interest in Harry. He slowly established himself as Harry's father figure. He wanted Harry to have what he didn't and seeing as I was low on suitors, I let him take that role. The problem was that _we_ also became close. He lived with me so it was easy for things to become too familiar between us. The worst of it was after we moved here and lived together in the 'wolf den' because that's when the others started to notice too. It was so easy to see the difference between my relationship with Embry and my relationship with the rest of my brothers once we all lived together. He would put his arms around me and touch me with such affection and familiarity that it seemed more like the wolf den belonged to Embry and me. Like we were an old married couple and the boys were staying over to visit. I really should have let Esme build me my own separate house but that feeling of being watched never went away and I hated the thought of living alone again. That's when it all unraveled.

* * *

_Flashback..._

All the boys were out with their imprints so Embry and I spent another quiet night alone with Harry. We had been watching a movie, the three of us cuddled in the couch with Harry creating a much needed barrier between us. He fell asleep spreading out between his lap and mine. It was a funny sight to see his random limbs spread out across our bodies. Embry looked down at him and smiled when he realized Harry had snuggled against his chest. It was so so clear that Embry loved my son and when he looked at him like that it made my heart ache.

"I'll go put him in his bed, and tuck him in." He took my son in his arms and he walked over to my son's room. I followed him so that I could say goodnight. I stood by the door and waited. I watched as he carefully put my son in his bed, tucked away a loose hair and then he kissed his forehead. My heart literally wanted to burst out of my chest at that moment. I walked over and I gave my son a kiss on his cheek, Embry was at the door waiting for me. We both walked out and he closed the door behind us, then he grabbed me by my waist the moment the door was closed, and he kissed me. His kiss was so passionate, warm and comforting. Not even Sam, kissed me like that. It wasn't the first time we kissed. The closeness that we developed with one another often blurred the lines between friendly love and romance.

"Embry, we can't."

"Why? Because we haven't imprinted? I'm tired of having this discussion. I'm not waiting around for an imprint that may never happen. We're good together Leah and like I told you already, I love you. I love, Harry. Please, Leah. Let's be a family."

"Damn it Embry! I can't!" I shoved him away and regretted it the moment I saw the hurt look in his eyes. Nevertheless, I couldn't walk down this road, not again.

"I know you think you love me but you really don't. You have an imprint out there and when you find her, you'll realize that all we're doing is playing house." He went rigid, like I had slapped him and then he began to shake. He just turned around and walked straight to the door and out of our lives.

* * *

Two days after that incident, Edward announced that he was getting them all an apartment and three weeks later they all moved out and it was just Harry, Seth and me again. Sometimes I wondered how much a heart could endure before it turned to slush. Mine certainly had enough. It had enough when I saw the one man that I could see myself with after my catastrophe with Sam walk away from me. It had enough when I first smelled the cheap perfume of college tramps on my very first visit to their house. And it certainly had enough when I heard him humping some whore on one of my weekly visits. Duilio was there that day and he immediately took me out of the apartment when he saw my aura. I heard Duilio got a hold of Embry after that one and threatened to castrate him. Now he always smells clean when I come visit, but I still share a mind with him and my brothers so I get to see all his conquest like I was there.

Yeah, my heart certainly had enough of this bullshit. I ran to the main house needing anything to take my mind off this shit. I walked into the front door of wedding central and settled myself between a very annoyed Bella and a very excited Pixie. At least this was a hell I could take.

"Where's Harry?" Bella asked me.

"Off hunting with Duli."

"What?! Mom can I go?" Chris asked from the other room. I was surprised he didn't sense them out there already.

"If you get in trouble I will let him go all Volturi on you, got it!"

"Thanks mom! Sorry uncle Eddie. We'll do a rematch later." We heard the door slam a second later. Alice had all sorts of magazines and cutouts of wedding dresses spread all over the floor and dining room table. Eve was helping her organize them by putting all the ones she liked in a pile. For once she wasn't with Seth because he had a test to prep for so it was just us girls. I liked Eve a lot, she was caring but fiery.

"Nessie would look so cute in this one. What do you think?" She asked Alice as she showed he the cut out.

"I love the beading on that one. Put it with the beaded ones we liked from before."

"You following all this?" Bella asked me.

"Nope. I'm just here for the food." On cue, Esme walked in with some food for me and Eve. I was busy eating and I didn't notice Alice had frozen suddenly. I only realized what was happening when Edward walked into the dining room.

"What is it Edward?" Bella asked him and suddenly the dining room was full of leeches.

"Something is happening in South America. The Volturi are sending someone over to investigate. They think it involves a hybrid or an immortal child. They want Duilio to go with them too. They will call him soon. Tomorrow."

"We should go leave then. If it involves a hybrid we want to be there before the Volturi get there."

"We should call Nahuel and Hulien. They know that area better."

"No need. They already called us." Alice said as Carlisle's phone rang.

"Nahuel, how can help you?" We all heard her response.

"Carlisle, my sister has called us frightened. She is in trouble. We are all heading to Brazil and I would like you to join us if you can. She may need medical assistance."

"Of course. Jasper is already making arrangements. You should know that Alice had a vision. The Volturi will decide to send someone to Brazil to investigate if there was a crime committed. Do you know anything?"

"Very little. Yuri called us to say that our oldest sister, Kara, is dead and Isa soon will be. I am afraid for my sisters but I am also afraid that we do not know what we are getting into."

"We will be there to assist in any way possible. You have all of our support."

"Thank you, my friend. Tanya will forward you the details of our flight." He hung up and turned to Alice.

"How long do we have before the Volturi arrive at Brazil?"

"Three days. They will be calling Duilio tomorrow night to request his presence there. They won't come here. He will meet them there, per Aro's instructions."

"We'll all go. Esme, Rose and the wolves can stay behind with the kids in case the Volturi decide to pay us a visit. Nessie and Jake should be safe in LaPush so there's no need to alarm them."

"Sorry Eddie. I can't guarantee that he won't read it in my head when I phase."

"I'm going with you, daddy. I can heal her so you need me there." Carlisle looked at his young brave daughter's determination and smiled.

"You're staying with me kid. Even if I have to tie you down and don't think I won't." She glared at me and crossed her arms. Esme smiled at me in gratitude.

"Alright then." The yellow eyed vampires were all gone within the hour and I was home alone again.

Duilio came back home with Harry around 6pm and he spent the rest of the night with me and Harry. He could tell that something was wrong the moment he looked at me. Thankfully he didn't say anything; however, he didn't stay that way for long. The next day, he came back to the main house, furious. I had never seen him look so vicious before.

"Where are they?!" He yelled at Esme. He actually yelled at her! Nobody yells at Esme!

"Watch your tone kid?"

"Forgive me if I forget my manners when I just find out that all three brothers are coming!" He said with a frustrated growl.

"What?" We all looked at each other. I was sure that my expression matched Rosalie's and Esme's. He looked at her with his eyes narrowed.

"You don't know how hard it is to be in the middle of two powerful covens." His voice was strained as if he were trying to control his rage. It was so strange to see this side of him. He looked at all of us as if he were trying to read us. "Please, where are they?"

"Nahuel called and asked for our help. There's something going on with his sister." I told him. He sighed deeply.

"Marcus just called me. He was going to send me to South America tonight but the informant that called said that the Cullens were already there to remove the problem. He is think that I have betrayed them somehow. Since I sent Grace back to Volterra, they are sure she must have told me. They have her imprisoned. They're coming here. All three of them." His voice was still stained but his expression showed concern. Esme and I both shared the same horrified expression and Rosalie was practically shaking with anger. This is not what we wanted.

"When?" Rose asked him.

"They will be here in two days. Call Jacob and Renesmee and get them over here. I'm going to talk my father again and see if I can do some damage control." With that he walked out the door, slamming it so hard I was surprised it didn't break off the hinges. We all looked at each other knowing that we were in serious shit.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Leah**

It only took two days for my world to turn upside down. I didn't need to call Jacob or Renesmee, Jacob cut his plans short the moment he saw what happened when I phased last night. Andrew, Steven and Mica all volunteered to come with him and Embry. The Cullens and the Denali arrived the morning after with our new guests. Isa and a little hybrid female she hadn't named yet. She called her 'demonita' which meant little female demon, that bitch! I noticed that no one got close to the little girl. Even her uncle was afraid of her. I didn't understand why. She looked perfectly innocent to me. Like any 6 year old little girl. I was about to ask Eddie what the hell was the problem but he answered before I got the chance to ask. So annoying.

"Can't you hear her heart, smell it on her? Isa is human. It's the child's gift. Keep your distance. We don't know how it will react to shape shifters." Edward told me. I held on to Harry a little tighter. I didn't know how I felt about it though. A gift that could turn monsters to human? What the hell were we all waiting for? Oh yea, the vampire royalty was coming to slaughter us and we wouldn't stand a chance as humans. Nahuel was talking to her in some foreign language and she kept shaking her head. The kid really needed a name.

"Her uncle decided to call her Pire, after his mother but she doesn't like it. She wants to be named after her mother Kara. Nahuel hates it. He never liked that name to begin with."

"I kinda like Kara." Nahuel gave me the evil eye from the corner and Kara smiled at me shyly. She was cute, like all the hybrids. She had tan skin but it was lighter than Nahuel's. She had wavy light brown hair and her eyes had a bit of a native look but the rest of her features looked more anglo.

"How did you find them?" Jacob asked him as he sat down next to me. Nessie was there with him, holding tightly to his hand.

"It wasn't hard. They left quite a trail of blood which is why the Volturi took notice." Edward shook his head.

"What happened Edward?" I asked him.

"Kara slept with many nomads and eventually got pregnant. She was starting to turn human towards the end of her pregnancy but her father thought it was to accommodate the baby, like when Renesmee's scent changes when her body is preparing for her cycle. Kara didn't survive the birth and when Isa took the baby to clean her, she slowly started turning human. That's when they realized that it was the child's gift. When you touch her skin you turn human within hours. Isa begged Joham to turn her into a vampire but he told her he had no need for a full blood female. That she was more useful to him as a human. He assigned her to take care of the child and left them. Isa tried to slaughter all those people to get her father's attention. To bring the Volturi to him and now she has brought them down on all of us. Foolish girl." He said in a hiss.

"So what now? We wait for them to come here and we pay for her mistake?" Ness asked. I had the same sentiment. I didn't mind at all feeding Isa to the sharks.

"The Volturi are not unreasonable. I will stand to witness and Isa's own memories will testify against her." Duilio told us.

"You're being naïve, Duilio. The child murdered in plain sight and allowed herself to be exposed. Even if she was tricked into doing so by that wretched woman I doubt that the Volturi will be forgiving. They will make an example of her." Tanya said gravely. I could tell that she felt sorry for little Kara.

"Marcus is a reasonable man. He will hear all sides before he makes a decision. No one will be slaughtered unless the vote is unanimous." Duilio told us.

"Since when?" Eliazar asked.

"Since Marcus assumed his rightful place." Duli told us. Edward sighed deeply before he got up and left the room.

"You sure as hell put a lot of faith on a man that left you for dead the first 5 months of your life. Forgive me if I don't feel so reassured!" Resnesmee got up and left the same way her father did. Duilio pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. Bella, being the idiot mother she is, went over to him and put her arm around his shoulder before she kissed the top of his head.

"It'll be ok." She told him, Duilio looked at her and, for a moment, I almost forgot he wasn't her real son because he looked at her with the same love and awe that my own son held when he looked at me. I kinda felt sorry for him at that moment. It must not be easy to see both of your families face each other in battle. He loved us but he also loved Marcus, that part was clear.

* * *

The following day was the day of the battle and it was something that none of us were looking forward to. They came just like Alice said. There was small clearing near the house, close to the lake where Jake proposed. Renesmee was holding on tightly to his hand. We decided to go in our human form to seem less threatening.

Technically our family wasn't in trial only Isa and Kara. If the shit came down then Edward would give us the signal to phase. The only wolves left behind were Seth and Steven. Seth because he would die before letting anything happen to our kids and Steven in case Seth needed backup since he was the least experienced. They were all on their way back to LaPush with the imprints and out kids. The only child with us was Kara. She was wearing long gloves, a long sleeve shirt and long pants. Every piece of skin was covered other than her head so her uncle was able to carry her. Nahuel had an angry gave expression since he was back. He was upset about the death of his sister Kara and he knew there was a good chance that both his now human sister and his niece would die today. My heart had been in a constant ache since my son left. The feeling of being watched had also intensified, which cause me to be on edge.

We all stood among the trees looking out into the trees that lined the other side of the opened strip of land. We didn't have to wait long. The three brothers stepped forward first, with Duilio at their side. He had left earlier to go greet them. Behind them was their usual entourage, the evil twins and Demetri leading the way for the others. My heart started beating faster and my wolf was literally clawing at me to come out. I felt too exposed in this body, too defenseless.

"Carlisle old friend! Duilio has explained that you accidentally collected our offenders. Your family has once again been quite helpful to us. Give us the woman and the child and all will be forgotten."

"The child was coerced. She did not know better. As for the woman, it seems that becoming human has clouded her judgment. She understands her mistake now and will not commit another crime."

"The Volturi do not give second chances, Carlisle. She is no different than a newborn and its maker. In such cases both must die. It is our law." Caius told him with a hiss.

"We all know that these children are nothing like newborns. They are predators from the moment they are born but they know nothing of the world, either the mortal world or the immortal one. They are completely at the mercy of those who care for them in that sense."

"He's right Aro. The child can be taught and protected just like another hybrid. It is Isa who should pay for her blatant disregard of our law!" Duilio told them.

"I understand your concern for the child. But regardless, she is a danger. Her gift alone poses a threat." Marcus told him.

"How? How can turning vampires into humans be a threat." Nahuel hissed.

"Like your sister, these expatriates of sorts have no loyalty to us or our law. Every vampire she turns human is a risk because he or she will no longer have a secret to protect." Aro said.

"So every vampire that has a gift that poses a threat should be executed. Since when has that been a law?" Tanya came forward. Nahuel held tightly to her hand as if holding her back.

"She is a hybrid. She is not as strong as we are and you cannot protect her forever. One of our kind has merely to lay one finger on her skin for one second and they would be changed within hours." Aro explained cheerfully. I really heated that creepy bastard.

"Not if you outlaw going after this child." Edward told him. Marcus narrowed his eyes at him and looked at Duilio as if he realized that idea did not come from Edward but from Duilio.

"Why would we do such a thing? When we can so easily get rid of the threat now?" Aro asked him.

"You do it as a sign of faith and good will. You give us the benefit of the doubt that we can keep her safe and deal with any vampire that comes for her and in return we will give you a sign of good faith. Something that we don't have to give you but that we will willingly do so in exchange for her life." Edward was talking directly to Marcus. I could see Duilio looked just as confused as we all were.

"And what is that?" Aro asked. I could tell he was losing his patience. Edward ignored him. He was still looking at Marcus even though he was going to answer Aro's question.

"A memory that I saw in Felix's mind before he died. His peace offering to me in case you attacked us for taking Duilio in when Aro had ordered his death. We want the child's life for the identity of Didyme's murderer and the traitor among your ranks. "

"He lies. He knows nothing." Aro said quickly. Marcus looked at Duilio. Duilio saw aura's so he was a natural lie detector. Duilio looked at Edward and then at Aro. His eyes narrowed suspiciously when he looked at Aro.

"He's not lying but Aro is hiding something. Do you know your sister's killer, uncle?"

"Why should we give you the child for a murderer? Especially if our brother knows who has took his sister's life?" Caius said.

"Because I would want to know what my own brother is capable of. There is a simple reason why Aro would know the identity of his sister's murderer. Isn't that right Aro?" I have never seen such a look of rage on anyone in my life. Marcus was absolutely outraged. Aro's face was also contorted in rage, he looked at Marcus about to say something when Duilio's voice cut the silence.

"He tells the truth." He said in a whisper, the shock was clear in his voice. Then he exploded in anger. "Edward tells the truth!" He said in a growl.

"You killed her?!"

"You were going to leave us."

"Volterra is not a prison. I had every right to leave. I gave you everything you desired and you destroyed it! You destroyed us all!" It all happened very quickly after that. Marcus beheaded Aro, some of the guard tried to go after Marcus but Duilio got in their way. Duilio was about to be tackled but Edward stepped in to protect his son. That's when all hell broke loose. Caius grabbed Marcus but not before giving the ok to attack us. Marcus overpowered him by the time we phased. I saw the black coated leeches come for us and while Jane and Alec stayed back. I could see Jane desperately trying to use her gift. I saw Renesmee go after Jane and a large leech went after Bella. Bella digged him easily and dismembered him with Brady but the distraction cost us her shield. Nessie dropped to the ground screaming for only a moment. Her brother quickly went to her aid. I realized why Nessie hadn't tazered the little witch. She wanted Jane to use her gift so that she could project it back. Clever.

At the same time a leech pounced to tackle me. I was bracing myself for his attack when a gigantic bald eagle grabbed the leach midair and crushed its head with its talons. It was fast but not fast enough for me to miss his eyes and the look of pure concern they held. I never knew something like that could happen. The whole process took merely seconds and by the time the dead leach was dropped to the ground I had phased back to human form breathless. Embry stepped in front of me to cover me and Emmett threw his jacket my way. I put it on immediately. Everyone stopped for a second but only that. It was enough time for Nessie to use her gift to project Jane's power onto them. Every leech on their side was on the ground screaming except for Marcus, Caius and Duilio. The kid wasn't that stupid!

"Enough!" I heard Duilio growl. Nessie pulled back. "Remember who you serve, damn it! You are Volturi! If you joined this guard to serve one man then disrobe at this very moment. You do not serve this traitor! You serve our law and no one is exempt to that. Not even Aro." He told his guard who were all looking at him angrily. Jane was about to disrobe but her brother held her hand and shook his head. She hissed and looked away from Duilio. Marcus suddenly had a torch like device in his hand and he lit it on fire.

"Think what you are doing brother. There have always been three." Caius told him.

"Did you know?"

"Or course not!"

"He tells the truth father." Marcus looked at his son for a moment and then he looked at Caius.

"There have always been three and so there will be." And with that he burned the beheaded body of his brother. I was shaking, the giant bald eagle was hidden in the branches behind me, watching. I could feel his desperate need to protect me. I wondered how it was able to stay back so restrained.

Marcus approached Edward who was still on their side of the field next to Duilio and Nessie. Bella stepped forward but Duilio looked at her and shook his head.

"Well played young one. You could have kept this information. Used it against us in an attempt to dethrone us but you did not. Something like this could have destroyed us."

"I know." Edward said. He looked at Duilio.

"Your son is a good and honorable man. He claims that you are needed. That there have and will be many transgressors in our world. He trusts you to uphold our law. I trust him and, therefore, I am also putting my trust in you. All I ask is that you return the favor."

"You can assure me that the girl will be kept under control and that she will not turn more vampires into humans?"

"Yes."

"Then your request is granted, that is, if my family agrees." He looked at Caius and Duilio who then both looked at each other. Duilio nodded and Caius responded, "It shall be done. And any who purposely goes after this child to be turned human will be put to death." He said.

"And the woman? What will happen to her?" Carlisle asked pleading. Duilio stepped forward and walked over to Isa. Edward took his daughter and whispered something into her ear. Nessie dug her face into her father's shoulder and Edward put his head down. I knew something bad was coming.

"What will happen to her is what will happen to any vampire turned human? Death." He grabbed her arm harshly and threw her to the middle of the field. "What say you?" He asked the other two.  
"Death." Marcus said. Caius smiled sadistically. "Kill her!" and with that we saw Duilio sink his teeth to her and kill her. His back was to us. When he was done he didn't look at us. He looked straight at Edward who had been on their side of the field looking away and shielding his daughter from the horrific scene. Edward nodded and he walked over to our side with Nessie. He stopped in front of his son and he placed his hand on his shoulder before he walked next to his wife and daughter. Duilio walked over to his father and stood next to him, finally facing us. His face was a mask but his eyes revealed it all. His eyes always betrayed him, even when he was a kid. For a second he looked at me and to the bald eagle hidden in the trees. His eyes narrowed and then he looked at Edward who nodded at him. Duilio looked at each of us individually and stopped at Nessie and Bella. Bella nodded at him first and Nessie touched the bracelet that she still wore. She smiled at him and he smiled back. Wordlessly they all retreated, Marcus and Duilio left last. It was over.

We all went back to the house sobered by what happened.

"How could he just kill her like that?" Nahuel claimed.

"He had to. Mercy is weakness to the Volturi and weakness will get him killed. We all knew she had to die. They would have never let her get away with what she did."

"So is anyone gonna ask how a giant bird was able to crush that guard?" Emmett asked us as he put his arm around Rosalie.

"Obviously he's not a real bird. He's probably a shifter. He was protecting Leah, that's for sure." Embry said. I didn't like the way he was staring at me all concerned like that.

"Did you get a read from him?" Jake asked Edward. I couldn't believe that they hadn't noticed what happened. Of course Edward knew.

'Please Eddie, don't tell them yet.' I begged him. As much as his concern irritated me, I didn't want Embry to find out this way, in front of everyone.

"Not really. He could tell Leah was a female. I think that's why he felt the need to protect her."

"Is he still here? Maybe we can talk to him."

"No." Edward lied. "He's gone." Edward was right. He left a few seconds after Marcus and Duilio left.

"Did you recognize him Leah? You've mentioned before that you felt like you were being watched."

"Yea but that may just be my spidey senses kicking into gear. He could be watching any of us not just me." I said because I couldn't take being put on display for much longer.

"Is he a threat?" Jake asked Edward immediately.

"No. Not at all."

"Then we worry about it another day. We should all head back." Carlisle said. I watched them as they all happily paired up and left. Nobody noticed that I stayed behind except for Embry. He, Jake and Ness stayed behind to talk.

"There's more isn't there? Who was that bird Leah?" Nessie came forward and took my hand. I looked straight at her because it was easier to tell her forgiving face than the hard suspicions faces of my two pack brothers.

"I think he's my imprint."

"What?!" Embry's voice was clearly hurt. I looked at him and he was shaking.

"You imprinted on some damn shape shifting bird we know nothing about?!"

"Embry man, calm down." Jake quickly got between him and us.

"No man! I'm not gonna calm down. We don't know anything about this guy and he's been stalking us for God knows how long. This is bullshit!" And with that he exploded into a wolf and ran off.

"Why is my life always such a fucking mess?"

"Hey, this one imprinted on a half leech that happened to be his best friend's daughter. I say a flying shape shifter is a step up." Nessie told me smiling. We all headed inside the house. I wanted to go after Embry but Jake said to give him time so I did.

"He's never coming back is he?" Bella was asking Edward as we walked in. Edward took her in his arms and kissed the top of her head before he turned to us.

"He asked me to tell you that, if he's still invited, he will see you again for the wedding." He told Nessie.

"Of course he is!" She said smiling and hugged her father.

Nahuel was sitting with Tanya. Kara was on his lap and he was rubbing Kara's back. Kara had finished drinking a sippie cup of blood. He took it from her to set it aside, then he took her little gloved hand and kissed it.

"Are you ok?" He asked her full of concern.

"I'm afraid uncle Nahuel."

"Your safe now kid. No one's gonna mess with you, I promise you that." Kate told her as she sat on the arm of the sofa. Kara smiled at her new aunt and nodded. They all looked cute together. I was glad the Denali finally had a little one to run after. I felt a pain in my chest and I knew that my bird was close by. I could feel him.

"We should call Seth and get the kids back."

"Already done. Seth said he'll spend a few days so that Harry can visit with Sue."

"Why don't we all go back to the rez? We had to cut our trip short before and now we all have plenty to celebrate. Aro is dead, my girl is a badass who put the entire guard on their knees… I mean did you see Jane's face?" Everyone started laughing and talking about their victory. I stepped out needing time for myself. I felt his presence as soon as I stepped out of the house. I ran in my human form back to the clearing.

"I'm tired of this game bird man. I know you are there. Show yourself." The giant bird flew down to meet me. I looked into his eyes and I felt the heavy bond that tied us. Nothing else mattered anymore, just him. Yea, I definitely imprinted.

"Phase." I asked him gently. He looked at me. He was uncertain.

"Don't you know how? Let the bird go. Be human with me." I saw his giant body tremor until there was a naked man standing before me.

"Who are you?"

_"Not sure."_ He answered in Quileute. His pronunciation was perfect. Better than old Quill's so I was shocked.

_"You're speak the language of my tribe. You don't speak English?"_

_"Not well. Languages changed much from the language spoken in my time. I learn from listening but it is difficult to understand,_ _speech is more difficult."_

_"What is your name?"_

_"You may call me Picha Ka'l."_

_"Do you understand what has happened between us?" _

_"Of course I do." _He said frustrated.

_"I know you've been following me for a long time. Why didn't you just show yourself before?"_ I said trying to hide the pain that his anger caused me.

_"I felt I was needed so I came, when I realized who you were I was confused. Though I cannot remember her much, I knew had a mate once. I_ _didn't know it could happen again. I knew I must keep you safe, alive. That is my duty as your protector."_

_"So you didn't think it was a good idea to meet me? Why?"_

_"I do not remember much of my past. I remember the wolves. __I never heard of a female of your kind but you were my imprint __so I decided to watch you. I did not like what I saw." _He said his words with such anger that I had to take a step back. I was not expecting this. What the hell didn't he like about me?

_"Why? What have I ever done to you to deserve your hatred?" _i said the words more to myself but he answered my question anyway.

_"I don't hate you, child. I cannot. I came here because I felt someone needed me. Then I saw you and knew you were mine to protect. Though, I do not remember much of my past, I remember my enemies very clearly. You, my_ _imprint, allowed yourself to be soiled by one of them. By a cold one."_

_"What the hell do you mean by soiled myself?"_ I almost choked on my own words.

_"You are in league with cold ones. Your son..." _His face contorted with disgust. "_He calls to me like a beacon and it is clear as day. I know that you have bedded a cold one. That abomination is all the proof I need."_ He told me in a voice full of disgust. We heard a roar behind us and we both turned to see Embry in wolf form. Picha didn't flinch. He turned back to me.

_"My instinct is to protect you and that is what I did today. That is what I always shall do, nothing more. But I promise you and your brothers that you will always be safe."_ Then he left. Embry came running towards me in human form and grabbed me as I collapsed into his arms, sobbing. It was strange that the pain of rejection was so familiar but this was unlike anything I ever felt with Sam. How much more of this crap was I supposed to take.

"Just finish it. I can't take anymore. Just kill me, _please_."

"Don't you dare talk like that." I felt him kiss my head and when he did, I felt his tears on my skin. Why couldn't I have imprinted on this man? This man who loved me and my son as we are? Embry picked me up in his arms and within minutes I was in my bed. Embry got into the bed with me and he held me. That night I cried myself to sleep in the arms of a man wasn't mine but wished he was about the cold hearted man that was mine and wished he wasn't. Why did these things always happen to me?

* * *

**A/N: Don't hate me! I promise things get better for Leah. Just bare with me. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Only 6 more chapters after this so please review and thank you to all of those who have done so already:)**

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Harry**

After three days in LaPush, I had enough. First that stupid Sam wouldn't let us stay out house because Chris was only allowed to visit not stay on our lands. He wasn't an imprint or a part of the tribe so he couldn't stay for long periods of time. Grandma Sue and Billy had to step in so that he could stay. Then we went hunting and had half of Sam's pups try to attack us. The worst was when I tried to go to the corner store to get some candy and Sam's guys didn't let me. I hate them. I know they are supposed to be my family but they weren't. They made that clear. I still wasn't old enough to take them but I couldn't wait until I was. I still looked around 8 because my stupid growth spurts stopped about a year after I was born. Its moments like this that I still wished for them. I would have never let those pricks talk to me like that. Assholes!

I couldn't wait to see my mom but when I saw her face I knew that something was terribly wrong. She tried to make it seem like it was ok but I knew something was really wrong. We got home and mom went straight to her room. My uncles and Nessie were in the kitchen talking. I pretended to watch tv in my room but instead I snuck out and crouched by the kitchen window so that I could hear.

"I couldn't believe what I was hearing Seth. I wanted to kill him. I know we cannot attack another wolf's imprint but … I don't know who this guy is but he had no right to talk to her like that." Uncle Embry told them. Mom imprinted?!

"What did he say, exactly?" Uncle Paul asked him.

"He was talking in Quileute and I mean the old and perfectly pronounced Quileute that old Quill would speak. He told her that he had been watching her and that he knew that her son was half leech and that he couldn't believe that his own imprint had 'soiled herself' by sleeping with a leech. Soiled herself! Can you believe that crap?! The way he said it too. With that disgust and contempt."

"I can't believe it. And you said he imprinted before? Can that even happen?" Aunt Rachel asked him.

"He's a bald eagle not a wolf. Bald eagles mate for life but, if that mate dies, they tend to find a new mate." Aunt Nessie informed them.

"So his mate died and he imprinted again. That hasn't been heard of. Then again, there's never been an eagle shifter in our tribe." Uncle Jake said.

"Yeah man. He apparently was surprised by it too. He's been watching her for a while and I guess he will continue to watch her. He did say that he would protect her but he made it very clear that he didn't want anything to do with her."

"I can't believe this is happening to her. Gosh! Why can't she catch a damn break? This isn't right!" Nessie said. I could tell she was crying. We both were. I heard enough about that jackass. I ran through the forest not sure where I was headed. It only took a few minutes for Sam's morons to find me. One of them tried to jump on me but I used my power to freeze him and he trapped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Idiot!

"I'm not in the mood for you assholes. So fuck off!"

"Yep, you definitely got your mom's mouth." Jared said as he phased back.

"Sam said I was free to run here."

"Yea well, I am sure Sam won't be too happy with you using you leech powers on our boys."

"Well I don't give a fuck what makes Sam happy. All he ever did was make my mom's life a living hell. And now…" I shut my mouth and tried to hold back my tears.

"What happened? Is Leah ok?" He asked as if he were actually concerned.

"My mom is none of your concern, dog. Leave us the fuck alone!" I shoved him back but he didn't flinch. I couldn't have used my gift to get some easy shots in but I hated using my power. It reminded me that I was related to _him_. I ran off closer to the Cullen border. I heard Chris laughing and a moment later he appeared with Nahuel and the new girl, Kara.

"Wow!" He said as soon as he saw my face.

"I need your help."

"Is everything alright?" Nahuel asked.

"Yea, I just need to talk to Chris in private."

"Ok?" He and Kara kept running. Once I knew they were gone, I asked my request.

"I need you to find my mom's imprint. He's a bird shifter. A bald eagle. He has to be around here somewhere. Please, find him."

"Aunt Leah imprinted?"

"Yeah. And the bastard rejected her which why I need to talk to him. Please. Just see if you sense something in the sky." Chris looked at me skeptically but he closed his eyes to concentrate. He needed to concentrate when he was tracking across long distances or for people in specific.

"I sense something, not sure what it is but it could be him. Come on." We ran back to the northern border of the wolf territory. He came to a stop at the bottom of a rocky cliff side.

"He's up there, I think. I've never had to track a bird before."

"You can go."

"I'm not leaving you alone with him. He rejected her. What if he hurts you? Your mom would kill me."

"He won't hurt me."

"Dude. You don't know that." I hated when he went all big brother on me. These past few months Chris had definatelychanges. He was more mature. Less like uncle Emmett and more like aunt Rose. I hated it.

"Please Chris." I looked at him straight in the eyes for a few seconds and he finally conceded.

"I'll be within shouting distance." I waited for him to leave then I took a deep breath. Ant started yelling in Quileute.

_"I know you're up three asshole! Get down here or I'm coming up for you. Don't even think about flying away because I'll use my powers to make you drop like a rock!"_ I screamed at him. A few seconds passed. I was about to start screaming again when I heard his stupid bird. I saw him emerge from a cave like formation and glide down to me. He transformed as soon as he hit the ground.

_"Is that how you speak to an elder, insolent child?" _His posture was stiff as if he was trying to restrain himself.

_"You're not my superior. You're not worthy of my respect so I'll talk to you however the hell I want!" _

_"I know you are angry because your mother is hurt. She will recover."_

_"My mom dissevers better than you. Much better, but you are her imprint. You will go to her and you will apologize for being such a dick." _I really wanted to hit him.

_"My decision has been made. I will not accept a mate that laid with a cold one. I am her protector. My duty ends there." _He turned around as if to end our conversation. It only made me more pissed.

_"Her protector?! Then where the hell were you?! Where the hell were when that prick that fathered me raped my mother? Why didn't you protect her from him?" _He stopped on his tracks and turned to me. His eyes were surprised and then furious.

_"She was raped?"_ He asked me in a hiss. I shook my head.

_"What? You didn't know, oh perfect one? __You hate us so much that you didn't even bother to get the truth before you passed judgement. __Maybe if you would get off your high horse long enough to get the truth, then you would know that my mom was raped! She sacrificed herself to the vampires to save aunt Nessie. Aund Nessie was only like 5 years old but she looked older and the vamps wanted to rape her. Mom could never let that happen to a child. She would have died that day but aunt Nessie didn't give up that easily and she nearly got her head torn off trying to save my mom. "_ He stayed quiet, looking at me. His body was shaking slightly.

"_Your father raped my mate." _

_"He's not my father! I may share his DNA but I am nothing like him! I hate that bastard. Because of him everyone hates me. I don't like having everyone in this damn place hate me, having my own family wish I didn't exist. It's you they should hate. It's your fault I even exist. You should have protector her better!"_

He was getting angrier by the second and he took one step towards me. So I froze him. I hated my power. I had only used my gift a few times so was surprised by the strange feeling that surge through me. It was as if I felt his essence connect with mine. Like I wasn't just paralyzing his body but as if I was paralyzing his spirit. I ignored the strange feeling and approached him.

_"This is how he did it you know. He froze her with this stupid gift I inherited. My mom would never let herself be touched like that by a leech."_ I pushed him hard and he landed on the ground a few feet away from me. He still couldn't move. I grabbed his arm and sat him up against a tree.

_"I wish I could let you kill me, but I know how much that would hurt my mom. I think you hurt her enough for a lifetime. My mother has been broken because of imprinting before. The alpha here, Sam, was supposed to be her husband but he imprinted on my mom's best friend and left her. Then her pack turned their backs on her. They ridiculed her and hurt her more. I can't let anyone else hurt her again." _I got up and thought about what I wanted to do. Mom needed him in order to be happy, more than she needed me.

_"As much as I hate you right now, I know you can make her happy. She needs you. If you want me gone, I'll leave. I'll find a way to go. She'll be sad at first but as long as you are with her she'll get through it. Once you have your own kids, everything will be back to normal for her. Please, go back to her. I'll find a way go away. I swear it. She won't even know this is the reason why I left."_ I had tears in my eyes. I turned away from him and started walking towards the trees. I knew my power would break off once I reached a certain distance so I decided to give myself a head start.

_"You know what the sad part is? I wanted her to imprint on someone supernatural. Someone who could protect her and keep her safe from those who want to hurt her. I just never thought that she would be so unlucky that after everything she's been through, her own imprint would hurt her worse than everyone else."_

I left him there and ran back to the Cullen territory. I didn't go all the way to the house. I stayed by the river close to aunt Bella's cottage and sat on a rock. I couldn't hold it anymore so I cried. I was supposed to be a little kid right? Little kids are supposed to cry. I heard someone approaching but I didn't care. The wind blew her scent my way and I realized it was Kara. She approached me slowly and sat next to me.

"Are you ok?" She asked me in a sweet voice. I hadn't really spent any time with her. I hadn't even really looked at her so I was a little embarrassed to have her see me cry. I looked away. She didn't get the hint. Instead, she got closer to me.

"Cousin Edward told us what happened to your momma. I'm sorry hear mate was mean to her."

"Thanks." I said plainly. I sighed and wiped my face with the back of my hand. I turned my head so that I could see her properly. She was still small and young. I smiled at her and she smiled back at me. She had a sweet smile. I didn't understand how they could be so afraid of her.

"Uncle Nahuel said that sometimes it takes time for people to accept those who are different. Maybe that is what he needs."

"Maybe." I looked away again. Giving him time won't work unless he gives her a chance. God only knows how long he's been flying around, watching us.

"Would you like me to leave?" She asked me after an awkward silence. I instantly felt bad.

"No. I'm sorry, I'm just still upset. Coming back home made me realize that my mom's mate is not the only one who has a problem with who I am. Everyone here hates me."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I know how it feels to be hated. I killed my momma. My aunt hated me, she made me do things I didn't want to. She told me it was my duty. Now because of her, they're all afraid of me. I wish I could just disappear."

"I wish I didn't exist." We both looked at each other. She smiled and took my hand. She was wearing gloves for some reason.

"I would be sad if you didn't exist."

"Thank you. I would be sad if I couldn't see you." She giggled.

"Why do you always wear these long gloves?"

"You don't know?"

"Don't know what?"

"My power. I can turn vampires and hybrids into humans with my touch. Its in my skin. That's why cousin Alice gave me all these clothes."

I couldn't believe what she told me. I was so happy that I didn't really think about it what I was doing. I hugged her, catching her by surprise. She hugged me back and released me. When she did, I touched her face. She was my answer. My salvation. Maybe if I was human, my mom's imprint would let me stay with them. Maybe I won't have to leave my mom.

"No!" She pulled back but it was too late. I had touched her face and hopefully I would become human. She got away from me quickly, crying. I didn't understand. "What have you done?! They said I wasn't allowed to turn anyone. They will come back to kill us!" She screamed at me, crying.

"Why? Your gift is amazing. This is what I need. I don't want to be connected to him. I don't want to be a monster anymore." I tried to reach for her but she she stepped back. I felt a little hurt by her reaction.

"That's why you hugged me? I hope you're happy because now we're both going to die!" She yelled.

"What's going on here?" Nahuel appeared next to her and took Kara in his arms.

"I'm sorry uncle Nahuel. I'm sorry."

"You, come with me." He told me. And we walked into the main house. Uncle Emmett came over and gave me the scary look he always gives us when we do something bad.

"What the hell happened?" He asked me almost in a growl.

"He touched her." Nahuel told him and uncle Emmett's eyes got wide. Suddenly everybody was there. Uncle Edward came towards me and started to examine me.

"I don't think it worked. He doesn't feel any different and she didn't even feel her power activate. She's more upset that he betrayed her." Uncle Edward told us.

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

"Your power didn't activate?" Carlise asked Kara.

"No. I guess I didn't. I usually feel a current but this time I didn't." She explained.

"I'll start a blood workup and monitor him. Call Leah."

"I'll call her." Aunt Bella told them.

Carlisle took me to his office and started examining me while we waited for my mom. I was dreaded her arrival. She already had enough to worry about. The worst part was the look of betrayed on Kara's eyes. It made me feel this pain in my chest that I never felt before. I would make it up to her. I will never let anyone hurt her.

* * *

**Renesmee**

Everyone had been so excited the night before so seeing Leah so clearly depressed and defeated when she got into the car this morning was shocking. I went over to her immediately but daddy grabbed me and shook his head. Embry looked at me and Jacob and he also shook his head to indicate that we needed to leave it alone. Didn't she just imprint? She should be happy. The plane ride was rather deflated. We could all feel Leah's depression. I could tell that uncle Jasper was having a really hard time.

We arrived at Forks by the afternoon. Harry was so happy to see his mother but he, also, could tell there was something wrong. He didn't even get a chance to greet everyone before he was all over his mom. I only hoped that she would open to me soon. The Denali stayed with us at the main house and I chose to stay with grandpa Charlie and grandma Sue so that I could spend more time with them. Jacob also stayed with his family.

Our first priority was Leah so we got Harry and took her home. Paul and Rachel were at the house waiting for us. Rachel had gotten the house ready for her. She was 7 months pregnant but as active as if she were just 2. One of the perks about an imprint carrying her wolf's child was an easy pregnancy. We found that out 2 years before when Emily was pregnant with her son, Sammy. Leah got out of the car and hugged them somberly. We were all quiet and that's how the rest of the afternoon went. Quiet. Finally Leah had enough so she went to bed. Harry followed after her and went to his room. He was so worried. We all were.

"Alright, what the hell happened to my sister?"

"I told you already. She imprinted and it didn't go well."

"Come on Embry. You were with her all night. I know that she told you something." Jacob said angrily.

"Please, Embry. This is my sister."

"I was pretty hurt when she told us she imprinted so I went out for a run to clear my head. I was on my way back when I heard her yelling at him. She was trying to coax him out of trees or something."

"The trees?" Rachel asked.

"He's a bird shifter. A bald eagle." Jacob explained to her.

"So what happened? What did you hear them say?" Uncle Seth asked irritated.

"I couldn't believe what I was hearing Seth. I wanted to kill him. I know we cannot attack another wolf's imprint but … I don't know who this guy is but he had no right to talk to her like that." Embry told us.

"What did he say?" Paul asked him.

"He was talking in Quileute and I mean the old and perfectly pronounced Quileute that old Quill would speak. He told her that he had been watching her and that he knew that her son was half leech and that he couldn't believe that his own imprint had soiled herself by sleeping with a leech. The way he said it too. With that disgust and contempt."

"I can't believe it. And you said he imprinted before? Can that even happen?" Rachel asked him.

"He's a bald eagle not a wolf. Bald eagles mate for life but, if that mate dies, they tend to find a new mate." I told them.

"So his mate died and he imprinted again. That hasn't been heard of. Then again, there's never been an eagle shifter in our tribe." Jake said.

"Yeah man. He apparently was surprised by it too. He's been watching her for a while and I guess he will continue to watch her. He did say that he would protect her but he made it very clear that he didn't want anything to do with her."

"I can't believe this is happening to her. Gosh! Why can't she catch a damn break? This isn't right!" I cried into Jake's shoulder and he put his arm around me trying to soothe me.

"I'm going to find him and talk to him. If he has a problem he can take it out on me. Not my sister." Uncle Seth pounded his fist on the table almost cracking it.

"I'm pretty sure hates all of us. He said that we are in league with the cold ones. He's a bigot Seth. He's not going to see reason."

"He's my sister's imprint. He'll see reason even if I have to shove it down his throat."

"As much as we would all love to beat this guy, he's still an imprint. What we do need to do is get information on him. There are no records of bird shifters that I know of and clearly this guy is Quileute." Rachel told them trying to take rein of the situation. She was going to make an excellent mother. "I'll talk to dad and see if he knows anything."

"Thanks Rach."

Paul and Rachel got up and left to go talk to the elders. Embry stayed at the table staring at his beer. I put my hand on his arm to get his attention. He smiled at me.

"I'm ok Nessie."

"You don't look ok. I'm sorry this happened. I know her and I know it hurts her that you're hurting. She cares about you more than she will ever admit to herself."

"I know. I know."

Jake and Seth looked at each other uncomfortable. We all knew that Lean and Embry were in love with each other but Leah would never move forward with it because she was afraid. Afraid of this.

"She was right after all. She was right to reject me. I just wish…" I saw a tear role down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away and straightened up.

"I'm going to be there for her and help her get through this, but when its over I'm leaving. I don't know how Leah did it all those years but I'm not as strong as her. I stay and watch her love somebody else." Jake took a sip of his beer and nodded.

"I'll support whatever decision you make. Who knows, maybe you'll finally imprint when you're gone."

"No, you don't understand. I'm going to give up my wolf Jake. I know it will take me some time but I don't want to live forever. Not like this. I'm exhausted and I had enough of all the drama. I just want to be normal again. I want to go back to being human, find a good woman, settle down, and start a family maybe."

"Like I said. I will support whatever decision you make, bro."

"What about Harry?" Uncle Seth asked him. I saw a flash of guilt cross his face.

"I'll always be there for him. For as long as I am alive, I'll be there but we all know the kid is growing fast. After a couple of years, he won't even need me anymore."

"He'll always need you. But we'll be there for him when you're not." I told him. We heard Leah's phone ring upstairs several time before it went to voicemail.

"It's probably grandma Sue wondering why we haven't stopped by the house. I should call her."

As soon as I reached for my phone it started ringing. It was my mother.

"Hi Momma."

"Nessie, are you still at Leah's?"

"Yeah, what is it?"

"I was trying to reach her. Harry is here, he touched Kara. He seems fine but Carlisle is putting him on observation."

"What?!" Embry stood up instantly, knocking his chair backward.

"We're on our way, momma." I ran upstairs at vampire speed and entered Leah's bedroom.

"Leah. Get up, we have to go to the main house. Harry touched Kara. Carlisle is examining him now."

She got up so fast that if you blinked you would have missed it. The moment she was out the door, she phased. We all ran back to the main house. Leah went straight to the medical room to check on Harry.

"Is he ok? Is he turning? What were you thinking?!" She said as she hugged her son.

"He's fine Leah. We are certain that Kara's touch had no effect on him but I am keeping him here for the next few hours to check on him."

"So he's not turning?"

"No."

"Thank God!" Harry looked at his mom surprised. Embry finally stepped up next to her and examined Harry for himself.

"What were you thinking kid? Were you trying to get yourself killed?!" He pressed Harry to his chest for a moment and then released him.

"I just thought it would be easier if I was human." He confessed to them.

"What would be easier?" Leah asked him.

He didn't say anything. Embry and Leah looked at each other. Leah kissed her son and tucked him into the bed. It was almost his bedtime.

"You're staying here with Carlisle and when we get home you are grounded for a month."

"Yes, mam." He said sadly.

We all stepped out to the living room. Daddy was there with momma and some of the Denali.

"He'll be ok Leah. Carlisle just wants to make sure there are no latent symptoms since he is genetically different from all of us."

"How did this happen? I'm such an idiot! I should have been watching him." I could see the guilt and anger on Leah's face. She was always so hard on herself.

"He went after Picha Ka'l. They had a little conversation." Daddy told her.

Leah's eyes opened wide and then they narrowed. I had never seen her so angry and calm at the same time. Embry was also steaming but Leah was downright terrifying.

"What did he say to my son?" Her voice was vicious. Daddy just sighed and told her the truth.

"Somewhere along the lines of what he said to you. Harry told him about what happened to you and Nessie. Picha Ka'l seemed upset by it." Leah huffed angrily.

"How the hell did he even find him?" Embry asked daddy.

"That was my fault. Harry asked me to find him, he said he needed to talk to him. I'm sorry." Aunt Rose looked angrily at Chris. Chris was older so he really should have known better.

"I don't want him near my son again. If he gets anywhere close to you or Harry you let us know and defend yourselves if you need to." Leah told him.

"Do you really think he might hurt them?" Aunt Rose asked her.

"I don't know. I don't trust what I feel about him so I rather be safe than sorry. Imprint or not, if he hurts my son I will rip him apart. He can survive without a limb or two." She told us angrily. We all looked at each other doubting that she would ever attack her imprint but I think we were also relieved that she would put her son over her imprint.

"Are you going to talk to him?" I asked her.

"He's gone." Leah and Chris said simultaneously.

"I really have nothing to say to him, anyway." And with that the conversation was over. Leah went back to the medical room to check on Harry and the rest of us stayed in the living room.

Kara was so upset by what happened that the Denali decided to leave early. Harry tried on multiple occasions to talk to her but she wouldn't see him. He was so upset by it he refused to go to our engagement bonfire/barbecue. Leah made an effort to go but she only stayed for an hour before she went back home to her son. Embry also left early.

The party didn't go on undisturbed. We all felt Leah's depression but there was nothing we could do about it. Only one man could make things right and he had flown off. All we could do was wait and hope that he would return to her.

* * *

**Picha Ka'l**

I felt my body and soul connect once more. Immediately I turned into my bird form and flew away. I still did not understand what he did to me but it felt so familiar. I felt as if my own soul was trapped, separated from my body. That feeling of separation was so familiar yet I could not remember being separated from my body. The boy was strong and fast. I knew he was not human but I could still feel the connection. His power is also strong. What kind of being has the power to trap souls or to disconnect them?

I flew higher and took in the lands below me as I tried to make sense of all this. I recognized these lands. How I wished I could remember why. Why were these wolves always so familiar to me? I felt connected to them. I had sensed them in the past, but I still do not understand why. They were wolves and I was a bird. The connection to them was strong but the strongest one was her and her boy. I feel a powerful connection to him. His spirit calls to me like a beacon. Everywhere I go I can sense him. I am sure that it was his spirit that attracted me to her to begin with. Then I saw her and I knew she was my mate. It was so confusing. I could still see my other mate in my mind. I could not remember her name but I could see her in my head. Who was she? I new she was gone because I never felt the need to search for her but her love felt permanent. Now I had a new love. How I can I love this wolf too? It didn't seem right, yet there is no doubt in my mind that I loved her. I loved my wolf but I failed her.

My mate had been raped! The anger that surged thought me was powerful. Like wildfire. All this time I thought she had betrayed me. I thought she had mated with a cold one but she was violated. I was such a fool not to think of this. The boy did not look like any of the male cold ones. The entire time I watched them, I never saw the boy with a father. I never saw her share affections with any of the male cold one's either. I always thought it was strange that the boy's father was not around.

As I flew over these familiar lands I thought hard about what happened in the past few days. I do not now how long I flew but the days and nights began to merge into one another. I needed to remember. It was all connected somehow... The boy's powers, my past, this new mate, the wolves... They were all connected but to what? No not what, who... WHO! Of course! I stopped to rest as I the realization hit me.

They are connected to _who_ I was! I saw the images fly though my mind all at once. I had changed my name to mean Third Light as a clue. This is my third life! These wolves, my mate, her son, they are all a part of me. They are all a part of who I was before I became Picha Ka'l. I remember! I don't remember all but I remember who I was before and I remember why I tried so hard to forget. I saw her image in my head again. I shook in pain and guilt as I realized I keep failing her.

I have made a terrible mistake. What I done?! How could I reject my own mate, my own family?! They are a part of me and they are the key to my memories. They are the only connection I have left to my people. How could I have judged my own flesh so harshly? Would they ever forgive me? Would they ever allow me back home? I must fly back to her but how can I face her after what I have done? I must find a way to make things right!


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Leah**

I tried so hard to put on a brave face for everyone but I couldn't. Shortly after the awkward barbecue, we all went back to Dartmouth. On the outside I looked the same but on the inside I was broken. I hoped that they couldn't see but I knew Harry could feel it and so could the others. I refused to phase. I wasn't about to subject my pack to this emptiness. The boys and the Cullens made sure that I was never alone. Bella and Alice or Rose would make excuses to come spend time with me. Esme and Eve would come over almost every day to cook. Soon even the Cullen boys needed help with something or needed to update something in the house. Edward was the worst because he would know that I knew his excuse for coming over was bullshit but he still went along and snaked my drains, hung new curtains, and he even got me to bake cookies with him one afternoon. I felt bad because I knew he was trying to be there but I just didn't want to talk about it to anyone, not just him. At nights Seth, Nessie, Brady, Jacob or Embry would stay with me at the house. I was never alone and I both loved and hated it.

Harry was different since we came back. I wasn't sure if he was upset about what happened with Kara or Picha Ka'l or some combination of both but I had to keep it together for him. It was almost a month before I felt him near me again. Chris alerted everyone and the house was on alert. I could feel him watching the house at night for the first week. The whole situation only made Harry more upset. He kept staying out of the house for long periods of time and would ask me if Picha made an appearance every time he returned home. I didn't understand what he was doing. It was like he thought Picha would magically fly down if he wasn't around.

One afternoon he seemed a little bit more depressed than usual so he went out for a walk. I decided to follow him in human form. I was worried about him. He got to the river and he sat on a rock. My heart felt like it was breaking all over again. That's when I saw my imprint sweep down from the trees. I hated that having him so close made the pain I had been feeling for weeks disappear like it had never been there. I hated that I longed to touch him. More importantly, I hated that just one look at him was making me consider forgiving him.

_"Tired of stalking us. Why are you here? Shouldn't you be flying over to my mom?__"_ My son growled at my imprint. I got up about to protect my son when I felt the deep regret my imprint felt. It was our imprint link kicking in. He look at my son with eyes full of regret. I didn't know what his regret was about.

_"After what I have done, I doubt your mother would welcome me into her home." _He looked over my direction and again he had that sad, remorseful expression that made my chest hurt. I was well hidden do I doubted he could see me but he could probably sense me.

_"Well you're not welcome in with me. Why the hell did you fly down to me, anyway?" _My son asked him defiantly.

"_Because I remember who I am now." _Harry's face got angrier.

_"Really? Well congratulations! So does the new you hate us too? Is the new you still ashamed of my mom for having me and for being friends with the Cullens?"_

_"They have been kind to you and your mother. They protected you and all of Taha Aki's children when I didn't. For that, the Great Spirit has chosen to bond Taha Aki's own children to them. It will take time but I can accept this. These warm blooded blood drinkers will give birth children that are a part of me and this is something I cannot ignore."_

_"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"_ He asked him in a clearly frustrated and disrespectful tone but my imprint didn't pay any attention to it. He stepped forward and knelt in front on my son. They were now at eye level. Harry shifted uncomfortably. Picha's gaze was intense, as if he could see into Harry's soul.

_"It means that I remember who I am. You have helped me remember."_

_"Really, and how did I do that?"_

_"Your gift. I have felt it before. The feeling of someone trapping me, keeping me from my own body."_

_"I don't understand."_

___"You didn't just keep my body from moving. You kept my soul from having access to my body. I was disconnected from it just like before... I remember and I realize that you are all a part of me and as hard as I try I cannot ignore it any longer. I must make things right with your mother and with you. As much as I hurt your mother, I have hurt you worst of all. I should have been there for you. I should not never have let the burden of caring for your mother fall on your shoulders. I should never have rejected you for your father's mistakes. You are not a mistake."_ I saw the tears slide down Harry's face before he let out a sob. It wasn't until that moment that I realized that Harry blamed himself for Picha's rejection. I was so caught up in my own pain that I forgot about my son.

_"So what? Now you're ok with me being a half leech?"_

_"You may be the son of a cold one but you are mine too."_

_"I'm not yours, I should have been but I'm not."_

_"You are your mother's son. Your father is irrelevant."_

_"Well you're the only one who thinks that... I was so stupid to try to become human. It doesn't matter if I'm human or not. Everyone will always see me as his son."_ Picha stood up once again and looked my direction. His gaze was still intense. He looked at my son again and continued.

_ "Perhaps your ancestors and your mother's ancestors can override your father's lineage. Perhaps it will help you see that you are my son too, you are a part of me."_

_"You keep saying that. Why do you think everyone is a part of you?"_

_"I do not remember much of my past life but I finally remember who I am. Before I became Picha Ka'l I was called Taha Aki. He is the father of all the wolf lines. He is a part of you and I am one with him."_ Harry's mouth dropped open as did mine. Was my imprint crazy?

_"That's impossible! He died a long time ago after his imprint killed herself to save the village." _Pain flashed across Picha's face.

_"Yes. He watched her die before his eyes and his wolf responded in kind."_

_"That's right. He was old. His wolf had a white muzzle and he ran off to the words to die."_ Harry said, completing the tale he heard dozens of times.

_"Only he didn't die. The wolf must always be strong, this is why the boys who turn when they are young, age quickly and it is why Taha Aki became young again after his wolf returned at his old age. He begged his sons to kill him but they did not. They could not kill their own father. Taha Aki laid in the forest waiting for the pain to consume him, when a great eagle saw his suffering and offered his release. Taha Aki's sons were no spirit warriors, the spirit warriors were long gone by then. Their spirits were tied to their bodies and to the wolf's body but Taha Aki was not. He was a spirit warrior before becoming the wolf and knew how to separate his spirit from his body. He thanked the wolf for letting him share his body and then he released his spirit so that he could take the form of the great bird. The great bird did not share Taha Aki's love for Kitsa, for she was the wolf's imprint so I was able to live my life in peace. For long time I watched over my sons until they no longer needed my protection. It was difficult to see my son's and daughter's die. I decided to give myself a new name and allowed the bird to take over. It was so easy to forget. Peaceful. I only returned when I felt a sharp pain calling me back to my lands. I knew that someone was calling to me, to my spirit. When I returned I was confused by what I found. I had forgotten that I was Taha Aki but I remembered parts of his life and his enemies. I was not expecting Taha Aki's children to be joined to cold ones. I certainly was not expecting to imprint again on one of his descendants, my descendant from another life and another body."_

I was pretty sure that I had the same dumbfounded expression my son was wearing. I had imprinted on my ancestor! That was just so fucked up! I felt the shock hit me like a freight train. He must have felt something because Picha's face went rigid. Taha Aki was my mate...

"Holy crap!" I said out loud by accident. Both them looked my way and I finally came out of my hiding place.

_"You're Taha Aki?!"_ He nodded but didn't say anything. In fact he wasn't even looking at me. He was looking at the ground at my feet.

_"I hope you can both find some way to forgive my previous behavior, for I did not understand. I did not know who I was then or who you were."_ He started walking away.

_"Wait!" _I said quickly but I didn't know where to go from there_._ He stopped and turned to look at me. He waited for me but I had nothing so he flew off.

"Chris is gonna love this one." Harry said sarcastically. I just glared at him.

"Lets just go home." He walked me to the house and as we got closer he took my hand.

"At least, he was nicer this time. Maybe he really is who he says he is."

"He felt regret. I could feel how deeply he regretted hurting us."

"That's a good sign right?" He asked me.

"I guess. Why? You ready to just forgive and forget?" I asked him.

"I want you to be happy mom. You deserve to be happy."

"_You_ make me happy, kid. Imprint or no imprint, you're always going to come first Harry. I love you so much. _You_ are the best part of my life. You get that, right?" I couldn't help the tears forming in my eyes as I told him this. He nodded and hugged me tightly. I hugged him just as tight.

The following evening I felt my imprint outside. I was in the kitchen making dinner with Seth and Eve. I looked out the window and saw my son outside, laying some clothes on the ground. My imprint then, flew down and swooped up the clothing. A minute later he re-emerged from the treeline and walked towards the house with Harry. Seth was already outside by the time I walked out with Eve. I could see by the look on his face that Seth simply wasn't having it.

"I invited him for dinner. Let him in uncle Seth."

"Hell no!" Picha Ka'l looked at all of us. His expression became hard. I could feel his irritation and guilt.

"Seth Clearwater! Behave or so help me I will tell mom. Why don't you go have dinner at Cullen's tonight?"

"I'm not leaving you alone with him. Eve, call Edward ad have him come get you, sweetie."

"I'm not leaving, either." Eve and Harry went into the house hand in hand leaving Seth, Picha and I outside by the door. Seth and I stared at each other until he finally huffed and went into the house quietly.

_"May I come in?"_ He looked at me. My heart was beating faster. I hated it. I nodded and signaled everyone for him to come in. He looked rough even in normal clothes. His hair was unkempt and dirty. He sat around the table and everyone took a seat. It was all so civilized that it seemed ridiculous. I much rather be screaming. The food was already set on the table so everyone just stated eating, my imprint smelled his food before putting it in his mouth and then he went at it wholeheartedly.

_"I guess you're not used to eating human food huh? When was the last time you were human?"_ I asked him

_"I turned human before my youngest daughter died. I went to her deathbed at night while the others were asleep, to bid her goodbye."_

_"That's awful. I can't even imagine outliving my child."_ I felt a shiver down my spine at the horrific thought.

_"She was an elder. She was ready but it was still very painful. It is why it was so easy for me to let the bird take over. There were many things I wanted to forget."_

_"So what made you remember?"_ Seth asked him.

_"He did. His gift was very familiar to me."_ He said looking to my son. _"Then he told me what happened to his mother. Her sacrifice… just like Kitsa…"_ Everyone was silent. No one liked to talk about that night, especially me. Eve started to tear up. Seth became uneasy and picked her up to place her on his lap. She was really too old for that type of stuff but she calmed down as soon as she was close to him.

_"Do you remember your childhood?"_ I asked trying to change the subject. Eve was definitely a little different from Nessie. She was emotionally fragile and I didn't want her to go back on all her progress.

_"Some but not much. I remember the night Kitsa died and the days that followed but anything before that is a fog. I remember the faces of most of my children. They were many of them. I still feel the connection to their descendants. You and your brother share the strongest connection, followed by your son and your alpha. But there are many, all across the world. I sense them all."_ He took another bite of food. His brows were furrowed as if he was thinking about something, then he continued.

_"Being in a body that is different from your memories is very disorienting. I remember parts of Taha Aki's life but not all of it. The people he loved are easiest to remember."_

_"So you remember and just like that we're supposed to welcome you with open arms."_ Seth said angrily.

"Seth!" I said quickly but Picha didn't really looked too offended.

_"My family has been beaten, broken, abused and cold ones had to step in to protect them. I think its about time I returned."_

_"The Cullens are more than just allies. They are family."_ I told him.

_"I know."_ And that was the end of that conversation. My imprint refused to spend the night claiming that it wasn't proper for him to stay. He left the clothes he borrowed out in the changing shed and he flew off. I wasn't sure when he would fly down again but I knew he would stay close. I knew he wouldn't stay away long and I had a lot to think about anyway. Stupid spirits and their creepy sense of humor.

* * *

The next few weeks were interesting. Picha came over for dinner almost every day. Sometimes Seth would join us, sometimes Embry, Brady, or Jake would join us but no matter who it was, nothing changed. Everyone ate and talked but my imprint would say very little compared to that first dinner. I could tell he was trying hard to be comfortable with the situation. It was strange having him around. He would often look at me whenever he though that I wouldn't notice. He never really look at me directly. Every little word we exchanged made me feel things I never felt before. I was falling in love with him and I didn't even really know him. On the third week, Nessie decided to come over with Jake. As usual she picked up on the awkwardness of the situation, it would take in idiot not to.

_"So Picha Ka'l, that's an interesting name. What made you choose it?"_ She asked him.

_"This is my third life. It seemed appropriate."_

_"May I call you Kal. Picha Ka'l is a mouthful."_ She gave him her most charming smile but Picha just frowned.

_"My name is Picha Ka'l."_ He told her.

_"I kinda agree with the kid. Your name is a mouthful." _I told him and for once he looked at me. His bow lifted and he gave me a very sexy yet annoyed look.

_"Kal is a good name. Its normal."_ Jake said with a mouthful of food in his mouth.

"Jacob Black where are your manners?" Nessie reprimanded him but he just smiled at her.

_"I would prefer you call me by my name."_ Picha said out loud to no one in particular.

_"In our world, normal names are better and my mom likes Kal. Right mom?" _Harry said to my imprint.

_"Right?"_ I said. Picha looked at my son with narrowed eyes and Harry just smiled at him. Now I was confused.

_"Fine."_ Something was going on with those two but I couldn't figure out what. We finished our meal and Kal excused himself and flew off. Nessie and I went for a walk to get some 'girl time'. She rambled on about all the wedding details. She was so happy that it was contagious. She even got me smiling. Finally when she was done explaining every detail her and Alice had chosen she finally got to a more interesting topic.

"Kal seems to be calming down about our blended family."

"Yeah, he only seemed moderately uncomfortable and annoyed instead of extremely."

"He's very handsome."

"If only he would let me get near him I could tell you exactly how handsome he really is."

We both laughed as she shook her head.

"So what's going on between him and Harry?"

"You caught that too huh? I have no clue what that was about. Harry has been pretty secretive lately and I caught him going off into the forest. Do you think they've been talking or something?"

"Why don't you ask them?"

"Because I don't talk to _him_. And Harry won't tell me anything. I already tried. This is such a nightmare Ness. I love him so much already but every day he comes in and says next to nothing and I sit there and eat. It's all so ridiculous it makes me want to scream or kick his ass."

"Leah you have to talk to him at some point. Why don't I head back to the house and you call your birdy back so you can talk. Next time I come here, I want to see that man cooking breakfast for you in his underwear."

"Ha! I wish!" She ran off at inhuman speed laughing. I followed her advice and tied to pinpoint my imprint using our connection. I followed it though the forest and I was surprised to find him and Harry talking again. Harry was teaching him English. I was a little jealous that he would ask Harry and not me but I was more glad that they were forming a bond than I was jealous.

"No. When you pronounce your M's and N's you have to make a nasal sound."

_"I am tiered of this. Your mother is here for you."_ They both turned to look at me. I stepped out of the bushes and crossed my arms at both of them.

"So this is where you have been running off to."

"Sorry mom. He wanted help."

"I just wish you would have told me. I could've helped. I am a teacher after all."

"Well then I'll leave you to it." Harry told me with a smile and he walked back to the house, giving me a wink as he passed by me.

_"I am sorry if you were worried. I found him out here alone some time ago. He seemed upset and I thought he might like a distraction."_

_"Why do you care so much about him? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy you two are getting along but when I first met you, you were disgusted by him, by me…__And now you're magically ok with all of it? It just seems so hard to believe.__" I_ tried to keep my voice steady when I said that last part but my damn voice broke so I cleared it trying to hide it. He came closer to me. His facial expression was hard as always. He touched my face with the tip of his fingers and picked up a tear that I didn't even know I had let fall.

_"The day I remembered, I was overwhelmed by the memories. I was even more overwhelmed when I realized I had returned to find my family broken, violated."_ He started shaking. That was the first time I have even seen him loose control. He was breathing hard and deep trying to calm himself. I felt brave and I finally put my arms around him to hug him. It felt amazing! He stopped shaking. He put his arms on my arms, I thought too bring me closer to him, but instead he pushed me away.

_"I know I hurt you. I am sorry for this. __I am deeply ashamed of my behavior before. I had no right to speak to you or your son the way that I did. I am unworthy.__"_ He looked away from me.

_"Is that why you've been so distant. You really think I would regret being around you or getting to know you."_

_"Would you have forgiven me that easily if you had not imprinted on me?" _He looked at me when he asked me this.

_"I know the imprint is strong. But trust me, my son will always come first. The only reason why I even let you in my house was because you seem to be acting decently towards him. That's why I forgave what you said to me and how you treated me." _

_"He is a good son. He protects you well. I see a part of me in him." _

_"Well you _are_ his ancestor."_

_"Taha Aki was his ancestor and yours and mine. I am a different being now."_

_"Good. Cause imprinting on my ancestor is pretty weird." _He smiled at me.

_"May I walk you home?"_

_"Yea sure. Um about that, I was talking to Jake and he has no plans of moving back home now that he's getting married so I was thinking that you might want his room. He has the top room in the house up in the attic. It has a balcony so you can fly in and out as you please. It's the largest room in the house, it has a nice comfy bed, your own bathroom. Plus, it would be nice to have someone else in the house again."_

_"I don't think it would be proper for me to live in a house with my imprint while we are unwed."_ My heart started beating faster. Did this mean he was thinking about wedding me? 'Focus Leah! We are literally just getting to each other.' I told myself. I wanted to fall down this rabbit hole with him but I have been burned too many times. My life wasn't a damn fairy tale. I was never going to imprint and then we just magically fall in love and get married the next day and live in imprint happily ever after. I lived in the 'real world' and in the 'real world', shit like that didn't happen. At least not to me. I needed to stay objective and be practical about the situation. He was a homeless man from a different century. He needed to adjust to this new world. We needed to take things one step at a time and it began by getting him a roof, a shower and some normal clothes.

_"Um.. I sleep on the first floor with Harry. The guys had all the upstairs for themselves. There will be an entire floor between us and Seth lives there too. I really want to get to know you. We never have any time alone and it will be nice for Harry to get to know you too."_ He was silent for a moment, considering it. He looked straight into my eyes, causing me to loose focus again.

_"I will try it." _

_"G-Good. We can start tonight and see how it goes. Seth is going to be staying home tonight so you don't have to feel uncomfortable."_

_"Very well."_ I couldn't believe that worked!

* * *

Kal adjusted well to living with his imprint, me on the other hand, not so much. I was having a real hard time keeping my thoughts PG. Overall, our routine didn't change, he only came down for meals, the conversation was limited and I was getting nowhere. The only thing that changed were that we had more movie nights and that I had more sleepless nights of dreaming of my naked imprint. Finally my family took pity on my and Bella asked Harry and Seth to sleep over to give us some privacy.

"Where is everyone?" He said in broken English when he saw the table was set for two. He was getting better but he still had a strong accent.

"They're at the main house. Esme made a big fancy meal for everyone and then they are having a movie marathon so they'll be gone all night." I sat at the sable and he finally he sat too.

"Why are you not with them?" He asked me as I was serving myself some salad.

"I didn't feel like dealing with Emmett tonight. Besides I much rather stay here."

He furred his eyebrows as if he was annoyed. Did he not want to be alone with me? I didn't know what his problem was but I was getting pretty sick of it. I set the salad back down, hard.

"If you really want me to go, then I'll go." I got up from the table but his stare kept me frozen. He looked as me as if he wanted to say something but he kept his mouth shut which was very smart of him at the moment.

"Stay." It wasn't a request. For some reason it felt more like a command. I settled back down but he kept looking at me. Finally he relaxed into his chair and started eating.

"I'm surprised you weren't the first one to turn into wolf with your temper." He said casually as if we didn't just have an argument. I almost dropped my fork. Did he really just tease me?

"Maybe I wouldn't have a temper if my so called imprint would give me the time of day instead of treating me like a leper. You do realize that you haven't talked to me or been alone with me since our talk in the forest?" He sighed.

"I'm sorry. Its not easy being around you, Leah."

"Why?"

"Because I desire you. Because I look at you and I forget that I hurt you, that I am living in your house where your son and your brother also live." He told me as if he were scolding me.

"Well they're not here now."

"I cannot. I will not dishonor you that way."

"Fine." We both remained silent. It actually hurt me to have a fight with him. He also looked unsettled so I decided to change the subject.

"How did you know I wasn't the first wolf to change?"

"I kept a watch on my family for a long time but after my youngest died, my daughter, it was too painful. After that I changed my name and let the bird take over my mind. I forgot who I was. Nevertheless, my bird felt a connection that lingered even if I didn't remember what it was. It flew back every time the connection was at its strongest. Usually it was when a new wolf phased. Last time it happened had been so long that when I felt it happen again I wasn't sure what it was. Then I felt another one and another one so I went to investigate them. That's when I saw the wolves. I didn't know what to make of it and my bird wasn't interested enough to find out. I lost interest so I flew off. The connection kept getting stronger as more wolves phased and I thought it was odd that I was connected to them but the bird was no longer curious. It was only when I felt your pain that I knew I had to fly back. If I had only returned before…"

"I wouldn't have Harry. So that's not an option. "

"I don't like it Leah. I hate that he touched you. I hate that he is Harry's father even more than he does. I don't hate your boy. He is a good son, protective, proud, smart. He is exactly the type of son I used to have and the type I hope to have again." I couldn't contain the emotion that bubbled up in my chest. Again that little glimmer of hope and excitement came back. A tear escaped my eyes and I quickly rubbed them away. I couldn't let myself get excited. My life wasn't a fairy tale, marriage and children would take time.

"Thank you." _I love you_. I wanted to say but it was too soon. We finished dinner quietly and I put the dishes in the dishwasher.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" I asked him but he had been contemplating something else so I wasn't sure if he heard me.

"Your son told me something once. He said that you have been hurt by imprinting before. He mentioned that the first alpha, Sam, imprinted on your cousin. I do not understand this. Why were you hurt by this if you knew that you were meant for someone else?" I swallowed hard. I didn't want to have this conversation.

"Because at that time, I loved Sam. I was going to marry him and she was like my sister. I felt betrayed and in one swoop I lost two of the most important people of my life. Then I phased and my father had a heart attack. He died because of me. Once I phased, I had to share my mind with Sam and feel his love for her. It was like pouring acid on my wound. Then to top it all off I realized that I wasn't having my female cycles anymore which meant that I couldn't get pregnant. I felt like everything in my life was going wrong. Like God was playing some sick joke on me."

"I'm sorry that happened to you."

"So am I. The pain that I felt changed me. You were right about coming back to a broken family. I was definite a broken woman. All I saw was darkness and anger, and hate. I was drowning in it. My only relieve came when Jake left the pack and I didn't have to deal with Sam anymore. I actually allowed myself to hope. I thought he was my chance to be happy because Jake understood what I felt. Then he imprinted and I felt alone again."

"Then why do you like her so much? I would have thought that you would hate her too."

"I wanted to hate her just like I hated all of the Cullens but I couldn't. Its impossible to hate Nessie. She was the sweetest kid I ever met and she reminded me of myself a little bit. It's funny how the same people I blamed for ruining my life also saved it. Carlisle, Esme and the boys were protective, like my parents and my pack. Rosalie hated being a vampire and she understood what it was like to be a genetic dead end since she also couldn't have kids. Even Bella and the Alice were ok. The Cullens paid for my college tuition. They never judged me for resented me for hating them."

"That was very generous of them."

"It was more than generosity. They welcomed our entire pack into their family. They included me in their family just the way I was. They didn't care about the girl I used to be and that I should just get over what happened with Sam. They accepted me and, thanks to that, I found myself again. I found traces of the girl I used to be before I phased. When Nessie and I got kidnapped, I knew what was going to happen even before they took us to that factory. I knew why they wanted her and I couldn't let it happen. That little girl helped me gain my life back. She brought light to her family, my alpha _and_ me. I couldn't let them take her. I couldn't. I'm not sorry I did what I did even if Harry hadn't resulted out of it. I had to save her. Harry was like my miracle, like a gift for doing what I thought was right."

"They are very different from the cold one's I have met before. They seem more like a family than monsters. I never thought that could happen. It is very confusing, like going against my natural instincts."

"I know. But sometimes love can override those instincts. I mean, birds and wolves aren't supposed to imprint on each other and yet…" He smiled at me. I took the opportunity to get near him. He was leaning against the counter watching me as I talked. Before I even knew what I was doing, I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. I needed to be near him in the worst way and when he smiled at me like that it made me feel like it was ok. He didn't push me away as I expected him to. He wrapped his arms around me and nestled my hair.

"I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make sure you are never in a dark place again." I looked at him and saw the conviction in his eyes. Then right there, in the corner of my kitchen next to a dishwasher full of dirty dishes, he kissed me. It wasn't fancy, but it was perfect for us. His lips were so damn perfect. They perfectly molded with mine. His scent was too intense. I couldn't even think. His arms around me suffused me and I don't think either of us was quite prepared for the power of that kiss. It was slow, firm, gentile, as if our lips were speaking their own language. A language we couldn't speak for ourselves. My hands seemed to have a mind of their own as they caressed his chest. I unbuttoned the top of his shirt so that I could feel his skin. His hands moved from my back and caressed me up my arms until they wrapped firmly around my wrists. That's when he put a stop to our kiss.

"This isn't appropriate. There will be plenty of time for this after." He his voice was a little strained but not from anger.

"After?" I asked him confused.

"After you are my wife but not before." My heart went into overdrive again. He must have heard it because he smiled at me. It was an amused smile that looked very sexy on his face.

"Are you proposing?" I was trying to make a joke but some little part of me hopped that he was. It was squashed as soon as he shook his head.

"Not yet. There is still much that I must learn about you and about this new world so that I can be worthy of you." He brought up my hands to his lips and kissed both my hands.

"You are more than worthy." I told him. His eyes were still amused but he shook his head.

"After." He said firmly. I rolled my eyes and smiled at him. We spent the rest of the night sitting on the couch, talking and getting to know each other. He told me what little he remembered about his past and his children. We sat facing each other, at first. He would stroke my hand or my face whenever I said something sad. When I told him about my father, he held me against his chest. It felt so perfect to feel him holding me, I felt safe. I told him about what it was like to go to high school and college. I told him about teaching and how much I loved my job. He listened intently the entire time. He looked into my eyes and listened as if I were telling him the most amazing story in the world. I finally started to get drowsy and he walked me over to my room. He thanked me for sharing my life with him but he said it in a way that made me feel like he was talking about more than just my story. I kissed him again, on the lips. It was a quick kiss this time but once it was done, he pressed his forehead to mine and told me the sweetest words he could say to me.

"You are a miracle. You are a dream that became real. You give me something to live for. You are why I survived, why I endured. I know you have not lived an easy life but thank you for existing." He pressed his lips to my forehead. It wasn't 'I love you' but it was pretty damn close.

The packs and the elders were all very excited about having him in our lives. We soon discovered that he was linked to us through our mental link. He just had to open his mind to us and there we were, sharing our thoughts. It made it incredibly useful for patrolling and it helped him learn English a lot faster.

After almost three months he finally agreed to meet the Cullens. After everything he knew about them, he actually started to like them. He especially liked Carlisle. Of course, Sam was extremely irritated that our ancestor was actually getting along with the Cullens. I, however, was glad that he was starting to integrate himself into my life and that finally things were working out. I never knew happiness like this even existed. Before I even realized it was happening, I found myself excited about the possibilities that my future with Kal might bring—I allowed myself to hope.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Leah**

Life in general was great. I was finally freaking happy but as usual there always had to be some shadow in my life. The most current one was named Embry. He stopped by for family get togethers and cookouts but other than that he barely came to visit and he would always find some excuse to skip dinner whenever I went over to their place. It was frustrating as hell. To top things off, on Thanksgiving, he announced that he was transferring to Washington U. at the end of the year. I felt so guilty about being so happy but I couldn't help it. Kal made me happy. Embry was such a good surrogate father to Harry that I was heartbroken for him when he told us he was leaving. Harry got angry. He left the picnic table and ran off into the forest.

"I'll talk to him." I told Embry.

"No. I will." He said and he went after my son. Everyone else at the table looked at each other. Kal was looking out into the forest where they both disappeared.

"He loves you." He said, referring to Embry and me. Everyone at the table looked at us and one by one they made excuses to leave.

"You know this story already. Embry had feelings for me. I told him that we couldn't be together because I wasn't his imprint. I was afraid it would be like Sam all over again." I had already explained all of this to him but he still looked upset. He studied my face for a moment.

"Harry is attached to him and it makes you upset that he is leaving."

"Yes. He was like a father to Harry, more so than the other guys. I care about him Kal. We've been through a lot together." I wasn't going to lie to him. Embry was a part of my life and the sooner he got used to that the better.

"Then you should talk to him." He got up from the table and walked away in the direction of the house. Jake sat next to me again and Nessie and Bella sat across from me.

"What the hell just happened?"

"Maybe he's jealous." Jake offered. I looked at him and rolled my eyes. 'Well that was pretty obvious! Moron!' I thought but decided not to say it out loud.

"Maybe he's hurt." Bella offered. That suggestion actually worried me.

"He's both." Edward said as he sat next to his wife.

"Spill it, Eddie!" 'I will beat it out of you in front of your wife and kid if I have to' I warned him with my mind. He rolled his eyes at me.

"He was thinking that you and Harry would be better off with Embry instead of him. He was thinking that he would never be able to live up to what you had. He feels very unworthy of you. He's very hard on himself because he doesn't understand this generation. It's a problem that we all have. That's why he likes Carlisle so much."

I looked back at Carlisle and he was smiling as he read with Eve on his lap. I smiled at them and got up from the table.

"I'm going to talk to the boys and then I'll talk to Kal. I think I need some time to digest this info."

I walked into the forest and found Embry talking to my son. I remembered how not so long ago I had found Kal and Harry talking in the forest. If there was truth to what Edward said then it was going to take Kal even longer to adjust to our family. That thought made me sad.

"Hey." I said as I approached them. Harry was sitting on a rock.

"Great!" Harry said sarcastically.

"Hey, don't talk to your mom like that. I told you, I'll be around for both of you. I just think its time for me to move on, find my own piece of happiness."

"And you're not happy here with your family." Harry said.

"Harry don't say it like that. Embry deserves to find his own happiness. Just because we'll miss him doesn't mean we have to be selfish."

"_You'll_ miss me?" Embry asked me skeptically.

"Of course I'll miss you dumbass! I miss you all the time! I never see you anymore!" I was getting a little exasperated with him.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? You got your imprint. You got your happy ending." I heard the bitterness in his voice and it made me angry. This imprint situation wasn't my fault. I told him from the start that this could never happen between us. Now I was going to loose him.

"Yea. I got my happy ending without one of my best friends!" I said back at him. We both looked at each other angrily. Harry just looked at us both annoyed.

"I'm sorry Leah. I know this is exactly what you didn't want. I'm not trying to punish you. I'm actually happy for you. You deserve this happiness and its all I want for you. For both of you. But its time for the three of you to be a family and its time for me to find my own. That's all this is about. I want what you guys have." He crouched next to Harry. "I'll always be here for you kiddo. You can call me any time, day or night. And if your mom is ok with it, you can come spend some time with me at my new place. I got a two bedroom just for you." He told Harry. My son looked at him sadly and nodded.

"I definitely think that can be arranged." I told them. Embry mouthed 'thank you' at me and then he grabbed Harry into a bear hug.

"Embry! You're such a doush!" He said as he fought Embry but finally he hugged him back. Embry extended his arm so that I could join in. I rolled my eyes but he was close enough to just grab me and make me join in. I felt a sharp pain and then I saw my imprint fly off. I don't know how he did it but he had some way of closing off his connection and sneaking up on me.

"Shit was that him?"

"Yea. Don't worry about it. You're my family and he'll understand." I said sarcastically but I was secretly worried that this made things worse somehow.

When I returned home Kal wasn't there. I waited for him for 2 days until he finally returned. He wasn't gone far but he didn't come home. It was early morning when I finally heard him fly into his room. I waited for a minute so that he had time to get dressed, though I don't know why, and then I headed straight in there.

"Leah. What are you doing here at this hour?" He told me with a stupid shocked look as if he didn't know his ass was in major trouble.

"What do you think I'm doing here?! You've been gone for two days Kal! Over what? A hug. I was saying goodbye to him. He's in important part of my life and Harry's. That's not going to change just because I'm in love with you." I yelled. I was planning not to yell but I was so angry and hurt that it came out as yelling. I also realized that it was the first time I said the words 'I love you' to him.

"I know." He said angrily but I got the impression that he was angry at himself.

"I'm not in love with Embry. I love him but I am not in love with him. I'm in love with you." I said the words again hoping that he would say them back this time. He took a deep breath and tuned away from me. I almost vomited.

"I know that too, Leah."

"You're supposed to say I love you too you big jerk." The hurt in my voice was pretty clear. He turned around and stunned me into silence with his look. It literally took my breath away.

"You know very well that I love you. You are everything to me."

"Why did you fly away from me for two damn days? Why were you so angry and hurt by me saying goodbye to my friend and pack brother?"

"He knows you. He belongs to this world and I do not. If I had died when I was meant to, you would be with him now. Harry would have the father that he wants instead of the man who alienated him and his mother for the first years of his life over something was neither of your faults." His voice was strangled. He was always so hard on himself. I wanted to go over to him but when I took a step forward, he took a step back. I sighed.

"You're probably right. If I would've never met you, if it was just Embry and I, after the way that he treated me and after the way that he treated my son, eventually I would have chosen him. But if I would've met you, if it was a choice between you and him, imprint or not, there's no question I would have chosen you. I would always choose you. I don't give a damn that were generations apart. I don't give a damn that you were my ancestor in another life. All I care is what we have here and now. You're the one I want. I have been waiting for you too and you are worth everything that I've been through to get here."

"No." He came close to me and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips. "_You_ are worth everything; _you_ are the one I survived for, my reason for being. I love you so much. I'm sorry I hurt again you by leaving. I just needed time to think."

"Don't ever fly away from me again. I will pluck all of your feathers. I swear it." He smiled and kissed my forehead.

"I swear to you, that I will not leave you. I just wish that I could be a better man for you. All I want is to become a man who is worthy of you. A man like Embry or Jacob or Seth. I do not understand these times. I wish nothing more than to become your husband and to make you my wife but I cannot provide for you. It angers me that I am at such a disadvantage. You and Harry would be much better if I were more like Embry." I took his face into my hands to get his attention.

"I. Love. You. Go it? I don't care about any of that."

"You say this now but every wife wants her husband to provide for her. Its always been like this. I cannot even provide you with shelter. The Cullens have had to step in to do my duty, even in that aspect." I decided to take a different approach because if I had to explain feminism and women's rights I would loose him.

"In your time, people used to live in community. Right? They all helped each other, the men hunted together and the whole village benefited from their group work. Well, that is what we are _now_. The Cullens and the packs, we are all a community like the one you used to live in. You don't need to provide for me in the sense that you need to put a roof over my head or buy me things and neither does Jake, or Embry or Seth or any man for that matter. We help each other, we all built these houses together, we provide for each other. The men and the women all contribute equally and that is why our little community works. I am not smooching off the Cullens. We are all a family now. We raise our kids together, teach them together, eat meals together, share in each others wisdom and strength. That is what being in a family is all about. You and I have different strengths and weaknesses but it will take both of us working together to make this relationship work. You have plenty to contribute to our lives. What you bring into my life and Harry's is so much more than what money could buy, anyhow. Happy and I never needed material things. We needed you and what you give us now. You give us love, safety, stability, happiness... For the first time in his life, Harry gets to be a kid. He doesn't have to worry about me because I'm finally happy. I could never be happy with Embry because I was meant for you. Can't you see that? Can't you see that you are the best provider either one of us could ever hope for?"

"I think I am beginning to."

"Good. Because being your wife would be like a dream come true." I confessed. My heart was beating fast as I said this, bracing itself for any negative whiplash. He wrapped his arms around me tighter and rested his forehead on mine. He didn't laugh at my comment and my heart was hopeful.

"Then I shall make it so. Nothing would make me happier than to have you as my wife and to have Harry as my son. Our son." He told me. I nodded hoping that the tears that were threatening to come did not make an appearance. I didn't want to ruin the moment with tears and snot. I took his lower lip with my own. I wrapped my hands around his neck and he wrapped his around my waist and brought me even closer to him. I could feel him completely against me and I loved every part of it, every curve, every bump, especially the one I felt hardening against my lower belly. I needed him so badly. There was no doubt in my mind that he could smell my arousal even if his sense of smell wasn't as sharp as mine. His hands gently pulled the hem of my shirt and he pushed the material aside until his hands reached my skin on my back. It felt amazing to have him touch me like this but also a little shocking. A part of me kept waiting for him to spaz out and push me away. He surprised me further when he suddenly swooped me off my feet and laid me on the bed. His kissed slowed and he started pecking my lips with kisses until he just laid his head on my breast. His arms here still wrapped around me, holding me to him.

"Its not nice to get me all excited for nothing." I told him. He lifted his head slightly so he could look at me.

"You may sleep here but I will wait until we are wed to make you mine." There was fire in his eyes. I knew that he must be picturing that day just like I was.

"Emmett is ordained. We are a phone call away from being married." I said tryign to lighten the situation because I was about to pin him to the bed and have my way with him.

"I don't think either of us really want to get married by a cold one. No, we will go to the tribal elders and have them bless us. Then we will have them marry us at the beach where all our ancestors have been wedded before." I really liked that idea. More than I would ever admit to anyone.

"Ok. That does sound kinda nice. So when will this wedding take place."

"Traditionally, I would make those arrangements with your father but he is gone, so I will need to speak to your brother and mother." He stoked my harm as he thought about how he would do this.

"Nowadays you make those arrangements with me and we let the family know what we decided together." I smiled at him hoping he wouldn't be offended by my suggestion.

"You want us to make marriage arrangements before I even meet your mother?" He asked me amused. I shook my head. No. My mother would kill us both if we didn't include her.

"No. I guess you can meet mom first and then we can plan it." I could feel my excitement building. The feeling that took over me surprised me and made tears come up to my eyes again. I guessed he felt something stirring in me because he looked up at me. He maneuvered himself so that he was hovering over me. His arms were at either side of my head and his face was directly above me, examining me.

"You are happy." He told me. I nodded, unable to trust my voice with all the emotion I was feeling. He kissed my forehead gently and tears finally spilled over and he kissed them as they fell.

"Why are you crying?" He whispered.

"I never thought this could happen. I never thought I could feel this way about anyone. I remember being in love before but this is so much more than that."

"The animal imprints to find a mate, but the human imprints to find the person they are connected to. You are Quileute. You are descendant from spirit warriors. Our spirits became one with creatures that have the ability to find the being who will become one with their body and, from them, we have inherited the ability to find the person who will be one with our spirit. The bonding of two spirits is an intense connection. It is life changing. The only love that can compare is the love for a child."

I nodded. He kissed my lips softly and then he laid next to me, taking me into his arms so that I was laying against his chest. That night I fell asleep in the arms of my true mate, friend, and family. I was finally getting my happily ever after and he was laying right beside me ready to fall down the rabbit hole with me. It wasn't perfect but at the same time, that was what made it so right. I had the love of my life finally with me and he loves me and my son. He was never going to leave us for something better because we were it for him and he was it for us. I never had such a peaceful sleep of my life.

* * *

**Embry**

Moving back to Washington was more difficult than I thought. I missed my pack, my family. I still had some pack brothers in Washington, and Harry came to stayed over with me for a week but it wasn't the same. I was starting to feel a little bit like an outcast. I felt lost and I wasn't sure how to make it better. I wanted to find a way to become human again but the idea of breaking the one thing that linked me to my brothers was terrifying. I was a wolf, I was a descendant of Taha Aki and that was the only claim I had in their lives. Soon they would all start their families and move on without me. Even Harry would forget about me after he bonded with Kal. He would forget about those first two years where I was his father. But I shouldn't complain. If I had to be replaced by someone, who better than our ancestor? Still… I was going to miss him most of all. I needed a connection of my own. I needed something more permanent than the tittle of surrogate father, best friend, or pack brother. Especially because I was going to be giving up that last tittle. This is why I came home and why went to my mother. The problem now was that I wasn't sure how I felt about what she had to say.

I kept debating whether or not I should knock on the door as I walked to house but somehow I managed to bring my hand to the door. Rachel answered it with a smile. Paul was one damn luck bastard to have gotten her. Actually, I was the bastard but that wasn't my point.

"Hey Rach. Um, is Paul here?" I asked even though I could hear his rapid heartbeat inside.

"Yeah, come on in Embry."

"Hey man. What's up?" He asked me without turning away from the game.

"Not much. The new apartment is nice. Quiet…" I told them as I sat on one of the chairs by the sofa.

"Too quiet?" Rachel asked smiling.

"Yeah. A little." I said sheepishly. I was still working up my courage to tell them what I had to tell say so I appreciated the small talk. She handed me a beer and went over to sit on the arm of the sofa next to Paul.

"Well at least we got one of you close by. I really hate this divided pack shit."

"You could always go back to Sam."

"Hell no! Sam really gets on my nerves sometimes. He just can't let shit go. I swear he's worse than Leah. Even she got over her 'the Cullens ruined our lives' phase."

"Some of us are slower than others." I reminded him. He was the last wolf to join our pack.

"Hey I converted!"

"Not without me practically threatening you." Rachel corrected him. She wiggled herself next to him on the sofa. She was about ready to pop but she looked beautiful pregnant.

"So… um… there's actually something that I have to tell you guys. Its about my father." Both of them looked at me at the same time in surprise. Paul took the remote and tuned off the tv.

"What's going on Em? Did your mom finally tell you who your dad is?" Rachel asked me.

"I confronted her. Meeting Kal and everything that's happened recently really got me thinking about my lineage so I asked her about him."

"So what did she say?" Paul asked. He looked like he was wondering why I was talking to him and Rachel about this instead of Quill or Jake.

"Did you know my mom was a stewardess when she was younger?" I asked him.

"No. What does that have to do with anything?"

"She worked for a small airline that mainly traveled between Alaska and Seattle but my mom actually lived near Tacoma." I saw Paul's muscles tensed when I mentioned the city where he was born in.

"She told me that one night she was at a local bar when she saw someone she recognized."

"My dad?" Paul said as if something was clicked in his head. Rachel looked between the two of us, trying to see the resemblance. I looked a lot like my mom and Paul was a combination of both his parents so it was hard to see any. Maybe our eyes…

"Yeah. She had never seen him there before. He was older than her and from a different tribe but she knew he was from LaPush. She introduced herself to be polite and they started talking. Apparently he was upset because his wife, your mom, had just told him that she was getting menopause or pre-menopause or something like that. Anyway, he really wanted children. He told her they had been trying for years without success and well, you know that part. He was drunk and he kept buying her drinks. She felt bad for him so she just kept drinking with him. My mom was much younger than him so she wasn't really interested. She excused herself so that she could go home but as she was getting her coat some asshole was trying to coax her to stay and dance with him. He got handsy and your dad shoved him off her. He walked her home and she claims that the alcohol started to sink in because before she even realized what was happening they were…"

"Ugh! I got it."

"Anyway, the next day your dad was really apologetic. Apparently, he was actually a gentleman to her and he confessed to her that he never had those intentions with her because she was young and kind. He didn't want to hurt her or lead her on because he was very much married and so on. She could tell he had never cheated on his wife before. He was really torn up about the whole situation. She told him everything was fine and he left. My mom went on with her life just brushing it off as a one night stand but like a month and a half later she realized that she was pregnant. She decided to tell your dad but she didn't have his contact info so she had to do a little digging and that's how she found out that his wife had not been menopausal after all, she was pregnant with…"

"With me." He interrupted. He ran his hand across his face angrily. Paul and I were 3 months apart. I never really thought anything of it.

"I can't believe this bullshit! Why the hell didn't they tell us?!"

"Your dad didn't know for a long time. My mom didn't tell him. She didn't tell anyone. My grandparents were pissed and wanted to know but she wouldn't tell them because he was a married man so they disowned her. She had to quit her job because her parents were unwilling to help and she couldn't leave me alone to go on flights. She needed help, she needed a community so she decided to come live here because she knew that you guys came to LaPush to visit. She was hoping that someday we would run into him so when I asked her who my father was, she could tell me I had already met him. She was only 19, she was a kid. The problem was that she never ran into him but she ran into your mom. She told me that we were at the store one day when I was around 8 and she came in with you, I was playing with something and she kept looking at me and getting angrier and angrier. My mom assumed that she figured it out or maybe he had told her about his infidelity and she recognized her. I don't know... Either way, a few months later you and our dad moved back here."

"So you're the reason my parents got divorced?"

"Paul!" Rachel smacked his leg and gave him an evil look.

"No, its ok Rach, its true. My mom kept waiting for your dad to show up at our doorstep but he didn't until he finally ran into us like your mom did. He saw me with my mom and he knew too. They talked about it and they decided not to tell us because you were going through such a rough time with the divorce. Then we were both teenagers and you were still angry and rebellious, then we started phasing and in their eyes we were both acting out, and then you stated dating the chief's daughter and you were finally happy so they didn't want to ruin that, then we became friends and they didn't want to ruin our friendship, then I left and apparently there was never a good time to just sit us down and say hey, 'you got a half-brother'!" Paul got up from the couch as put some distance between him and Rachel because he was starting to shake.

"This is fucking unbelievable! I can't believe those two kept this from us for so damn long. I mean come on!" He kept walking back and forth across the perimeter of the couch.

"Trust me I know." Rachel shook her head and started to get up from the couch so I helped her. Once she was up she turned to her Paul.

"Alright so now you both know. I mean it sucks that they didn't tell you but does it really change anything? You both were brothers before you knew you were related. Would you two be any more or any less brotherly if you had known?" Rachel asked us. Paul stopped pacing and looked at her and then he finally looked at me.

"I guess not but it would have been nice to know." He grumbled. He finally calmed down.

"Yeah I don't think I would have found you any less of an ass if I had known." I told him smiling.

"Jackass!" Paul grumbled as he sat on the couch again.

"Alright good. Now as glad as I am that I have an official brother-in-law and uncle to help me with this kid, I am getting hungry so I am going to get dinner ready. Embry, you are staying for dinner and don't even think about arguing with me." She said as she disappeared into the kitchen.

"I wouldn't dream of it." I told her. Paul looked at his wife and shook his head.

"Welcome to the family bro." He sat sarcastically. He opened a cooler that was next to the couch and took two beers out. He threw one my way and we finished watching the game. Rachel was right. It wouldn't have changed anything before but it did change some things now that I was trying to build a new life and possibly stop phasing. Paul was going to have to stop phasing soon now that he was going to be a father and I was glad to know that even if I stopped phasing, I still had a family, a human family.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Renesmee**

Our lives changed a lot after the confrontation with the Volturi and Picha Ka'l's arrival. It took him some time to get used to us but he finally was able to relax when he was around my family. It was maddening that for almost two years he flew around us but never came down to meet his imprint because of Harry. He missed so much of Leah and Harry's life and, because of it, Embry had to fall in love with a life he couldn't have. Embry left shortly after the semester was over and moved Seattle to be closer to LaPush. He also found out that Paul was his half-brother so they were both making an effort to spend more time together. Harry missed him a lot but he got to spend a few weekends with him. Nevertheless, Harry was also starting to really like Kal, even love him. It was a true shame that Kal missed so much because his presence in their life was starting to heal their family. Leah was actually happy and Harry was feeling more confident and relaxed. He didn't have to worry about his mom anymore and Kal, being his ancestor and all, made him feel like he had a real paternal connection with him.

Grandpa and daddy tested Kal and determined that he wasn't really genetically related to either of them. The eagle gave him a new a whole new body and set of genes but his spirit was linked to all the Quileutes. Not that it would have mattered if he _was_ genetically linked. There were so many generations between Leah and Taha Aki that it would not have mattered, genetically speaking, socially it was still weird. The elders were beside themselves to have an ancestor in their presence and they gave Leah and Kal their blessing to get married. Leah and Kal had a small ceremony in at the beach at during spring. They were so excited that the elders even agreed to let my family attend the ceremony. Their wedding took place about three months before mine. I was Leah's maid of honor and she was mine so it worked out well.

Right after Leah's wedding, Rachel gave birth to my first niece, Paulina Sarah Lahote. Paul kept hoping for a boy throughout the pregnancy so that he could name him Paul. When they found out it was girl Rachel didn't want to disappoint Paul so she named her daughter Paulina. She shouldn't have worried about Paul being disappointed. He was beyond happy. Pauilina, Lina for short, was the cutest, happiest baby I had ever seen. I loved my little Lina. Chris and Harry were great babies but they were supernatural babies with a sense of awareness that paralleled an adult's. Holding Lina in my arms was such a different experience. She grew at a normal human pace, because, she was human. We didn't know how long that would last because, like Leah, Lina was linked to all three wolf bloodlines; the Uley's through Paul and the Atera and Black's through Rachel. There was a good chance that she would become a wolf but for now, she was just a little baby girl. She was warm, funny and completely innocent. Everyone in the family gushed over her but the biggest surprise was Paul's reaction to his little girl. He was extremely protective but also extremely mushy; it was funny to watch. I could tell that he was going to be putty in her little hands. Jacob and Embry were also extremely protective of their niece. Having Lina around brought both men closer to Paul, Rachel and eventually Rebecca. They were all a family, united by this beautiful little innocent being.

The entire family was back at Forks preparing for my wedding. We were going to have it at the house, where my parents got married. Having it at the house also gave us the freedom to invite all of our allies in the vampire world. According to Alice, most of them were coming. I was excited. I was ready to start my new life with Jacob. Jacob and I had been spending a lot of time away from the family because Alice was driving us a little crazy. Almost every day, we would visit Lina and then we disappeared into the forest to talk.

"Where's that pretty head of yours now?" He asked me after I had been silent for a while. We were both laying on the grass, looking up at the grey sky. I had my head on his belly and he was stroking my hair. It was very relaxing.

"I was thinking about our future."

"What about our future?" He asked me. I turned my head so that I could see his face.

"I think that I want to move back here after we graduate." I confessed. It was something that was weighing heavily on me because I knew that my vampire family could not come with us, at least not publicly.

"That's gonna take some work. You know how it is with the pack, we need to get everyone together to see if its ok." He reminded me. That was another problem all together. Where Jacob went the pack usually followed. I didn't want to uproot everyone.

"I know Leah and Seth won't have a problem. They miss it here and grandma Sue isn't getting any younger. We all have family members that are aging. We should be with them while we still can."

"That's true. I'm sure they won't mind coming home. I hate to be away from Embry, Quill, and Paul and Rach. I miss having everyone together in one place." He said frowning.

"Me too. Carol is up for it but Steven will take a while to finish school since he started last, plus she wants to go to grad school." Jake shrugged his shoulders and looked up at the sky again. Still stroking my hair. Relaxing.

"Well they won't really be affected by us moving. Steven and Brady are probably going to stop phasing soon anyway."

"You think?"

"Oh yea. Brady is ready. He'll probably marry Anna after she graduates and move out to wherever Anna decides to go to grad school. Steven will have to soon because Carol is almost done with school. I don't know what will happen with Embry but I assume he'll stop phasing once he finds an imprint or a girl he likes. Quill still has a long wait and there's still Collin and the two new pups from Sam's pack that haven't imprinted so we also have a couple of new wolves who will need leadership. They'll start college by the time we move back but if they decide to keep phasing until they imprint, then I will need to be there for them." I hated that Anna was going to graduate so soon and leave us. She was already thinking about Yale to become a lawyer. The thought of being so far away from her made me sad so I tried to change the subject.

"I can't believe the pack is still getting bigger."

"Yeah well once it starts, its hard to stop. We have vampires in the family now so its just something that I'm going to have to deal with. Sam and Jared already have plans to stop phasing within the next few years so it will be perfect timing if we move back after we graduate."

"I'm glad because I want to start our life here. We could get a house that is closer to the border so that both of our families can come visit us and the kids." He looked at me again. His one brow was up, in a quizzical expression that made him look adorable.

"Kids?"

"Well Lina is going to need a little cousin or two to play with." I smiled and stroked his chest as I told him this. He laughed and maneuvered himself until he was on top of me. He kissed my lips softly before planting a sexy kiss my neck that made me buck my hips against his chest. Then he hovered over me, stopping with his fiery look. But then he shook his head before he spoke again. Tease!

"She'll have to wait, then. I promised your parents that I wouldn't get you pregnant until after you graduate."

"But I still have two more years!" He laughed at my pout and kissed it.

"I promise you that the day after you graduate we start trying. Besides," I giggled as he took me into his arms and peppered kisses on my neck, "I kinda like the idea of having you all to myself for a couple of years."

"Ok. But the day after I graduate you are giving me a bus full of kids."

"Maybe a van full. I don't think I can deal with a bus full of kids." He said with a worried expression that made me laugh.

"Deal! I hope they're all as cute at Lina."

"You really like being an aunt huh?"

"Yeah. I had the two most amazing aunts in the world. I want to be that type of aunt for my future niece."

"You will be. And you're gonna be an amazing mother, too. I love you, Ness."

"I love you too." We kissed for while before we went home. It was only four days before the wedding so following day I got my first guest arrival. Senna and Zafrina were the first to arrive. I was so happy to see them. Zafrina was one of my favorite nomads. I spent hours filling her in on the important events that happened since I last saw her. The Denali arrived the following day along with the Irish coven. Peter and Charlotte as well as Benjamin and Tia arrived later that night. The only one missing was Duilio. Alice promised me he was coming because he was bringing something very important with him and so I waited.

* * *

**Harry**

I was so glad that I looked too old to be a ring bearer. They got little Sammy Uley to do it. Sucker! Jake asked me, Chris, uncle Seth, Paul, Brady, Quill and uncle Embry to stand with him. Embry was the best man. He had been a bit depressed so Jake made sure that he knew he was still part of this family. I was feeling better about being back at LaPush. I wasn't happy about it but I was better and I got to see Embry a lot more. I missed him. As good as it was to have him around again, I really hated the stupid looks Sam's pack gave me. Kal noticed it too. His sense of smell and hearing wasn't as good as the wolves but his eyesight was far superior to both wolves and vampires combined. He also had a sixth sense about emotions because he was a true spirit warrior. He was connected to nature and to all of us. He could sense that they hated me and he became very protective of me. It was kinda sweet. He definitely wasn't Embry but he was a good father and... he loved me.

It took me a while to figure out what he was doing when he asked me to help him learn English. He was trying to build a relationship with me. It worked. I kinda loved him too. He helped me to own my gift and take control of it and understand it. My gift wasn't about paralyzing bodies, it was about trapping the spirit so that it didn't have access to the body. I would always be grateful to Kal for helping me realize that. He made me see that my gift wasn't about my connection to the 'sperm doner'; instead, it was my connection to my ancestors. It was my connection to Taha Aki. It made me so happy to know that my freaky muted genes transformed my biological father's gift to something that was related to ancestry. It made me feel more like a Quillayute and less like a the child of a rapist.

My only problem these days, other than Sam's pack, was _Kara_. She was back but she still wasn't talking to me. I went to the house, hoping to run into her but she was out with Nessie and Eve. I sat outside on the steps and waited for them. It was almost dark when they finally came back. Nessie and Eve went right into the house but Kara just stayed by the car and stared at me. She looked a little older. When I last saw her she looked like she was 3 and now she looked closer to 8. I myself looked around 10 or 11 so she was catching up to me. I left the stairs and went up to her.

"Can we talk?"

"I don't want to talk to you."

"Please… I miss you." She looked at me suspiciously. I meant to say I missed talking to her but I didn't correct myself. I looked into those big brown eyes and something inside of me stirred. I wasn't sure what it was but it compelled me to take her gloved hand. She let me which made me feel so damn relieved.

"Please…" I begged again. She just nodded her little head. She was so sweet. We walked to the small river by the house. I let go of her hand and started climbing the big pine tree by the river. I looked down at her.

"Are you coming?" She furrowed her brows but climbed up with me anyway. We started hopping from tree to tree until we got the cliff edge. We were both panting a little after our race.

"Ok, that was fun." She told me.

"Thanks for coming with me. I was afraid you weren't going to." I sat on a large branch and she sat next to me.

"I didn't want to. I'm still mad about before."

"Are you ever going to forgive me?"

"Nope." I frowned. She looked at me and then giggled. Was she trying to torture me?

"Please…" I begged.

"Maybe if you dance with me at Nessie's wedding, I will."

"Dancing?" I grunted at the thought. She laughed and punched my shoulder lightly.

"Nahuel has been teaching me how. He said that it is my duty to learn how to dance as a Latin American young lady."

"I don't know how to dance."

"Don't worry. I don't either, not really." I smiled at her and took her hand. She let go of me and it stung but then she took off her glove and took my hand again.

"You're the only one I can actually touch."

"Then I guess it's a good think we're friends again."

"It is. She agreed." We spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the forest. Chris and Eve joined us and we played hide and seek all afternoon. Chris was only allowed to hide, of course. I was happy she forgave me. It was like the sun had stopped shining and now it was sunny again. When I told my mom and Kal, they were both happy we had reconciled. Mom offered to teach me to dance so we spent a few hours dancing while Kal watched us. He looked bored most of the time but then he surprised us both by taking mom's hand and dancing a perfectly to mom's music. He claimed that he has been a good dancer in every life he had. Lucky bastard! Chris being Chris, gave me hell when I told him about the dancing part but I didn't care. There was something special about Kara and I would've done anything to have her like me again.

* * *

**Renesmee**

The day of the wedding came quickly and at exactly 11:30, on the eve of our wedding, Jacob was kicked out of the main house and I was kicked off to bed with Daisy. I already missed him and I couldn't fall asleep so I was able to hear when a last minute guest arrived at the house.

"Duli!" Momma exclaimed and I hopped out of bed and was downstairs within seconds. He quickly have me a big bear hug and spun me around. Daisy was as excited as I was. She loved Duilio too.

"Hello beautiful. Sorry I'm late but Alice had me make a pit stop in Rome. Apparently, my gift had to fly first class instead of fex ex."

"Gift?" He turned around and signaled one of his guard to come in. She had a box in her hands so she handed it to me. It was Grace, the same guard who stayed with us for a few weeks when Duli was with us at Dartmouth.

"Open it. You remember Grace, right? She's my personal guard slash date. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not! You are always welcome, Grace." I said as I opened the box and found the most exquisite pair of wedding shoes I've ever seen.

"Oh, they're beautiful! I knew those ugly shoes aunt Alice put in my room couldn't be the wedding shoes!" I said excitedly as they all laughed.

"I'm glad you like them. I wasn't sure what to get you so Alice suggested these shoes. We had them made, especially for you. They can be your something new."

"Duli, they're perfect!" I told him as I hugged him again. We all moved towards the living room to talk for a bit. The whole family was happy to see him. Especially our parents.

"How are you adjusting to your new life?" Mom asked him.

"Its different. I am a master now and there are certain expectations that come along with that. I feel like I have to prove myself to everyone, especially Marcus and Caius. They're relentless. Even Marcus doubts my loyalty." Grace scoffed.

"He's doing a good job at proving yourself. Especially with the old guard." Grace told us. Of all of Duli's guard, Grace was always the more informal and comfortable around Duli. They shared a look and he smiled at her his half smile that indicated mischief.

"What's going on? What happened to the old guard?" I asked them.

"My power has increased. I can influence emotions, much like Jasper, only that my gift works by manipulating the soul so it has a more permanent effect."

"You can change souls?!" Jasper asked him surprised.

"No. I can magnify and decrease certain aspects of the soul that are already there. I can't make good people bad or vice versa. Emotions are easy because they're pliable. Its their nature to change but personality and the essence of a soul is more difficult. I can make Jane tremble at the thought of me. That feature is very nice." He said with a smug smile.

"But she knows it's you manipulating her doesn't she?" Grandma asked him.

"It only dulls the effect."

"How did you discover you could do this?" I asked him. His expression changed at that moment. Dad's expression changed too. We looked worried. Duli took a deep breath and moved forward.

"We'll talk about this some other time. I think we need to get you to bed sis. Its late and you need your beauty sleep." He got up and reached his hand for mine. I gave it to him and he walked me over to my room. It was silly but he tucked me in my bed and kissed my forehead.

"Did I ask something wrong?" I asked, worried.

"No. I didn't want to bring you down. This is a time for celebration." He explained as he sat next to me.

"Please?" He sighed and nodded.

"I was trying to make myself miss Aria less and to feel less guilty for what I did to her. It didn't work. I can't really manipulate myself which sucks because… it hurts."

"You loved her. Its supposed to hurt but you have to remember that it was an accident."

"I know."

"So, what's going on with you and Grace?" I saw how she looked at him and it always seemed to me that she had a little crush.

"Grace has been with us for a while. She's a sweet girl. She was a gift from my father once we returned. She's a shield. She has the ability to create an invisible barrier between herself and others. The barrier is mental but its physically impenetrable. The perimeter only ranges for about 15 feet but its enough to fit herself and me which is why Marcus appointed her as my personal 's liked me for a while but I'm not in love with her. She reminds me of you a little. She has a good soul, kind, honest, and a little sassy. She she likes me but she's not in love with me either. We've become good friends though."

"You'll find love again. I promise." He smiled at me his half smile but there was no mischief in his eyes this time, they were full of love. He kissed my cheek this time and tuned off my lamp.

"Have a good night, Mrs. Black. I'll see you in the morning." It took me a while to fall asleep but I finally managed to relax enough to go to bed. As I drifted away, I had a suspicion that a certain uncle was outside my door making me drowsy but I was too sleepy to care.

I awoke in the morning to the scent of breakfast and momma. She placed the tray next to bed and sat on the bed by me.

"My little nudger is getting married today. She said sadly."

"Don't be sad momma." I sat up on the bed and took her hand.

"I'm not sad its just… I feel like it wasn't enough time."

"I know." I hugged her.

"Take care of Jake ok. Sometimes, he actually worries me more than you do." She shook her head as if she was thinking about something Jake did. I smiled.

"You know I will."

"Ok, ok, eat your breakfast. I'm gonna get the water running in your bath." She got up and that's when I realized that my usual alarm clock was MIA.

"Where's Daisy?" I asked her as I looked around. Normally she would have woken me up by now to take her out.

"Your dad took her out this morning. You were up late so he wanted to give you a few more hours of sleep." She told me as she disappeared into the bathroom and I heard the water running. I ate by breakfast quickly and headed to the bathroom. Momma was adding bath salts and bubble bath. She still looked pretty sad.

"Momma, are you gonna be sad all day."

"No." Her voice didn't sound convincing.

"Oh mom." I hugged her again.

"Alright alright, get in your bath and relax. I'll keep Alice distracted for as long as I can." I laughed as she walked out.

It was a few hours before the wedding. I let aunt Alice take care of everything so I spent the day in my room with the girls. Leah, Anna, Carol, Rachel, Clair, and Eve were my bridesmaids. Lina was my flower girl and Sammy Uley was my ring bearer. He and Daisy were going to walk down the aisle together which he was excited about. The entire wedding was planned to the T. Aunt Alice made everyone practice numerous times the during rehearsal.

The boys were in the cottage getting ready. I wondered how it was going over there with all the wolves and vampires.

* * *

**Jacob**

It took me hours to finally fall asleep because I was so excited about the wedding. When I woke up Bella and Esme had covered every surface in the kitchen and dining room with food. Seth and the guys were already at it.

"Alright guys, I'll leave you in charge of Jakey. Make sure that he is ready to go by 2pm. I will try my best to keep Alice away." Bells announced as she placed the last platter of food on the table.

"Thanks Bells and thanks for the spread."

"No problem." I looked at her and she looked at bit off. I put my arm around her shoulder and led her outside.

"How'ya doing? Any words of advice?"

"Take care of my baby or I'll let Edward cut your balls off?" I laughed.

"Sure, sure. But seriously, you ok?" She had this sad expression in her eyes which made me worry a bit. Ness was the love of my life but Bella was still my best friend.

"Yea. It just seems like only I was tucking her in bed for the first time in that very house and now I'm here bringing breakfast to her wedding party in the same kitchen I prepared her bottles of blood."

"I know. This is a little weird for me too." I said nervously as I walked her to the Cullen property.

"You're not getting cold feet are you?" She asked me jokingly.

"Trust me my feet are warm and toasty but I do get what you are saying."

"You'll be a good husband Jake. You have nothing to worry about. Renesmee is a grown woman and she is ready for this. More importantly, she loves you. I think you two will be good for each other." I don't know why but hearing her say this made me get this warm feeling in my chest.

"Thanks Bells." Tere was a bit of emotion in my voice. I hopped she didn't notice it.

"My only advice is that you listen to each other. Sometimes, you both let the imprint and love guide you and you don't hear each other."

"I know, its hard not to though."

"I know." She stopped and smiled at me. She put her hand on my cheek and guided me closer to her so that she could kiss my other cheek.

"Take care of her like you always have and you two will have a long and happy life together."

"I will." I said as I hugged her.

"Good. Now go before your brothers eat all the food." I went back and had breakfast with the guys. We were all fooling around when Kal and Harry came over to get dressed. It got a bit tense for a moment with Embry there but both men behaved. Kal even got Embry talking about his new life away from the pack. They seemed to be getting along. I shouldn't have been surprised but I was. Kal was a good man and his connection to all of us made him feel protective of everyone in the tribe.

From the moment he remembered that he was once our ancestor, he started to take an interest in all of us. First with Leah and Harry and then with the rest of us. He would ask question after question about the new tribal traditions, the new pack, the previous pack, my sisters, my father, well, everyone. I was glad he was taking an interest. I could see why Leah imprinted on him. Leah had a very mother like senses of protection too. She was a bitch but she was also fiercely protective. She proved that the night she and Nessie were kidnapped. She proved that she was the strongest and bravest of us all. Kal was also proving to be just as protective as she was. It was hard to stay mad at the guy when he genuinely cared about you. He even took an interest in the Cullens. He resisted at first but after seeing how much Leah and Harry were loved by the Cullens it was hard for him to hate them. He, Edward and Carlisle became like a trio. He didn't like Edward's meddling at first but he got used to it.

Edward came in later with Duilio. They got dressed with us while Emmett, Chris, and Jasper dealt with Alice. It was their gift to me. The little pixie Nazi was driving everyone nuts and I didn't need the stress on my wedding day. She was annoying but it was endearing in a way. Nessie was like her daughter and she wanted this wedding to be perfect for her. I couldn't be mad at her for that. Duli came over to me and I guessed it was time for a man to man with the brother.

"I know mom, dad and the uncles already gave you the talk but…"

"I know, I know. I hurt her, you rip my nuts off."

"I'm glad we got that covered but remember that I have an entire vampire army to make sure it gets done right."

I put my arm around him and held him at a head lock. I knew he was letting me but I took advantage anyway and I messed up his stupid preppy Italian hair.

"Not the hair man!"

"You know you look like a doush, right?"

"Totally." Seth agreed with a mouthful of food.

"That's how the ladies like it, gentlemen. When is your dad coming?" He asked me. Duli loved my dad. He loved hearing the old stories when he was little as much as Nessie did.

"Actually, he should be here by now." I realized and started to worry.

"He is. He's at the main house. Do you want me to go get him?" Edward asked me.

"Yea, if you don't mind. Thanks Eddie." He rolled his eyes and walked out. When dad came in he was all dressed and ready to go. Over the years, he let Carlisle take care of his medical needs so he was walking with a walker now. It was good to see him up and about with the guys. Eventually Edward went back to the house to see Nessie and I went to get dressed. Dad followed me to the master bedroom and closed the door behind him. I was fixing my bow tie and he was watching me.

"Its times like these that I wish your mom was here."

"Me too. Do you think she would have like Nessie?"

"She would've liked her better than you, kid." I laughed thinking about my mom and Nessie. Of course she would've loved her. Dad sat on the chair by the bed as I finished.

"Are you nervous son?"

"A little but I can't wait. I love her so much dad."

"I know son. I know. She's a good girl and she makes you happy. I'm glad that you found each other." He was giving me this look that made me feel loved. Dad was always such a loving dad. I only hopped that, someday, I could be the type of dad that he was.

"Thanks dad." We both smiled at each other and headed back out to check on the guys.

Alice came over at 1 to check on us and once we were all Alice approved we headed towards the main house. Only one more hour and I was going to be married to Renesmee Carlie Cullen. I couldn't wait!


	24. Chapter 24

**LEMON ALERT! They're married now so I had to include some Lemons. If you don't like lemonade, I suggest you skip the middle of this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Renesmee**

Daddy came over by the time my hair and makeup was done. All the girls were getting their hair done by my family. Grandma Renee was getting ready at Leah's house. Phil only knew me as Edward's little sister so he stayed in Florida but grandma knew the truth. She had the same 'need to know' arrangement as grandpa Charlie but she wasn't as ok with it as he was. She was desperate to know what was going on but she didn't want to put our lives in danger so she kept quiet about it. I was glad she knew because I wanted her to be in my life. She arrived at the house just in time to see me slip into my wedding dress. It all felt so surreal. Aunt Alice, Eve, aunt Rosie, grandma Esme, grandma Renee and momma all helped me get dressed. When I was all dressed we let daddy and my grandfathers in. Grandpa Charlie was the first one to come in. He looped at me up and down in shock.

"You are so beautiful, honey." He was smiling but it was a strained smile. He came over to me and kissed my head.

"You look breathtaking." Daddy said from the door. His voice was full of emotion as if we would be crying if he were human. I turned to look at him and I was right about him getting emotional. My own emotions stirred. Grandpa Carlisle put a hand on daddy's shoulder to comfort him but he was staring at me the whole time. Smiling at me in that loving way that grandpa Carlise always gave me. Momma was also staring at me. The emotion was clear on her face. She got up from the bed. Grandma Esme pulled out a box from the dresser and gave it to her. Then momma came over to me. She pulled something out of the box, a hair comb with blue sapphires.

"This is your something old and blue. Mom and dad gave it to me on _my_ wedding day. They told me to save it for my daughter but at the time, I thought that was impossible. Now here you are. My miracle." She told me as she looked at them smiling. She attached the comb to my hair. "It belonged to grandma Swan. I've been keeping it for you and now its yours for you to give to _your_ daughter someday."

"Oh mom!" I hugged her and in that moment I wished that I hadn't grown up so fast. I wished I could give her more time to be her little girl.

"You will always be our little girl." Daddy said as he hugged us both. I could hear grandma Renee crying in the background. Grandpa Charlie was really quiet, as if he were trying hard to control his emotions. He was holding grandma Renee's hand, when I looked. Grandma Esme was with grandma Carlise and Eve was between them. They were both holding on to her as she smiled happily. My aunts were both next to their parents, holding hands. The love I felt for my family and especially my parents was far to great to contain and I felt my emotions leave through my skin and project onto my family. They were used to it, but feeling my emotions made momma hug me tighter.

"We love you too, baby." Momma told me.

"Ok um. I hate to do this but we have to finish getting her ready." Aunt Alice said quietly. She too lost her chipper with all the emotion in the room. She had a loving look that made me think she was also getting emotional.

"It's a good thing we left the makeup for last, huh?" I said and everyone laughed. One by one everyone hugged me and then headed downstairs until the only ones left in the room were aunt Alice and my parents. She finished my makeup quickly and kissed my hand.

"I'll let your dad know when its time." She told me and then she headed out the door. I took a deep breath.

"Are you nervous?" Momma asked me.

"A little bit. Were you nervous on your wedding day?"

"Oh yea, it was very overwhelming but then I saw your dad at the end of the aisle waiting for me and it all went away." Dad smiled at her and kissed her forehead tenderly. I couldn't remember a time when my parents weren't completely in love with each other. The only time I heard my parents argue was when I was in the womb but that didn't count because he thought he would lose her. She saved me and he saved us both. Daddy smiled at me.

"Its time." He walked over to me, took my hand and kissed it.

"Are you ready?" His voice was full of emotion. I just nodded. Duilio showed at the door at that moment.

"Wow! You look incredible." He said. His voice was full of awe.

"Thanks." I told him with a smile. He looked at us and smiled as if he liked what he saw. Dad chuckled.

"Come here, son." He told him and Duli came in. He gave dad a hug and then they both cam over to hug mom and I in a group hug. I chuckled too. It was so good to have the family together like this.

"Your mom and I are so proud of you both. You two make us so happy." Daddy was next to me and he kissed my head. Momma also kissed my head and then she kissed Duli's, who was next to her.

"You ready, mom?" He asked her. Duli was walking her down the aisle and daddy was walking me. Momma kissed my cheek one more time and took Duli's hand.

"Ok. Let's do this." She told him and they walked out together. I took a deep breath. _Daddy, don't let me stumble or God forbid, faint!_ He chucked quietly.

"Don't worry, love. I got you." He told me smiling. We headed down the stairs. I was already impressed with Alice. The colors the scents were all perfect. When we walked outside it was all like a dream. The entire area was transformed into a fairytale with my prince waiting for me at the end. The girls all walked with their escorts and lined up just like in rehearsal. Daisy however, barked excited and licked little Sammy's face which was not what we practiced. Everyone loved it but Alice stared at Daisy like she was going to eat her. I only registered all of it with a small corner of my mind because my focus was Jacob. He stood there looking like a dream or more like a fantasy. His tux fit him perfectly but what captivated me most was the look of complete love and devotion that he was giving me. It brought tears to my eyes which in return made him tear up too. My father brought me to him and placed my hand in his.

"Take care of each other." He told us and he took his place next to momma. Originally we wanted Billy to marry us but he got the idea that Kal should be the one to marry us since he was the first shifter, so both Billy and Kal faced us in the arch of flowers were we stood. Kal did not remember the original wedding traditions so instead he talked about the imprint and what it meant. Billy talked about what we knew about marriage in the Quileute tradition and what it meant to be married now. Billy pronounced us husband and wife. When I kissed my husband for the first time it had a certain familiarity yet it was unlike any kiss we shared before because it held all the emotions we both felt at that moment. It was magical.

Billy was the first one to hug and congratulate us. When he told me "I can officially call you my daughter now." I started to cry again. We all laughed when momma grunted and told Jacob that she's not calling him son.

"Good. Cause I'm not calling you mom either." He told her with a fake disgruntled look. She hugged him and he kissed the top of her head as everyone else came over to congratulate us.

We all went to the reception area. We held hands the entire time. It was as if we could not let go of one another. After all the formal wedding activities were taken care of it was finally time for our first dance. Jacob and I started off dancing.

"You have been practicing Mr. Black." I commented as he swerved flawlessly across the room.

"Well I couldn't make a fool out of myself in front of you Mrs. Black." Damn! I loved the sound of my new name.

"I don't think I will ever get tired of hearing my new name." He smiled at me and kissed my lips.

I got a bit emotional during the speeches and the father daughter dance. Daddy was so reassuring. He swept me across the dance floor and we danced circles around momma and Jake when they started dancing. I was beside myself with happiness. Uncle Jasper spent the night close to me feeding off my happy mood. I danced with Duilio, my grandfathers, my uncles, the Denali, some of the nomads and all of the pack. At one point in the night I was actually starting to feel a little tired. I sat on one of the tables to talk to Rachel who was cradling my beautiful little niece.

"I guess even hybrids get tired." She said smiling at me.

"Yea, we do. How is she holding up?"

"Oh she fell asleep an hour ago. I was just holding her cause I missed her."

"I'm jealous. I wish I could take a power nap." We talked for a few minutes when I saw a light flashing behind the trees.

"Did you see that?"

"See what?" Rachel asked.

"That light!" It was so bright that I was surprised I was the only one looking that way. I heard daddy approach me behind me.

"Why don't you go see what it is?" He told me. I looked at him suspiciously but I followed the light through the woods. It left a stream of glimmer everywhere it went so it was easy to follow. I finally arrived at LaPush to a secluded area by the beach. There I saw Zafrina, the culprit of my wild goose chase, next to my entire family and my husband. They were all standing in front of a beautiful and large modern house that had the largest silver bow I had ever seen, hanging on the front door.

"I think this is the part that I leave." Zafrina said. She walked towards me and gave me a hug.

"Enjoy it my young friend. May you have many happy days here."

"Thank you!" I whispered to her. I walked over to my family with tears in my eyes.

"So… What do you think?" Aunt Alice asked me.

"Its gorgeous! When? How?"

"Well Jacob and Rachel have been helping us keep you distracted for the past couple of months. Embry, Paul and Rachel found this piece of land for us and supervised the beginning of the construction. Its only 24 acres for the property because its adjacent to the national forest so you're not going to have neighbors, possibly ever. And we've all been working on it for the past month. Even Duilio helped. He helped pick out and ship all the imported fixtures, tiles, and linens. Billy and Kal worked things out with Sam the other elders and, as long as we're just visiting and not planning to move into LaPush ourselves, we are all welcome to come see you guys which works fine by us. Its big enough for both packs to be in there at once and every single room is sound proof so..." She looked at Jake who instantly blushed.

"I can't believe this! This is my home and you are all allowed to come see me here?"

"Yep. This is our home or more like our castle. As usual your aunt went a little bit overboard." Jacob said as he came to hug me.

"Hey, it's not my fault that everywhere you go you have an entourage." She protested.

"Aright you two, go in! Have a look!" Rachel said. I shook my head at her. I guessed daddy drove her over while I was chasing lights through the forest. They gave us a tour of the house. Aunt Alice took us from room to room while the rest of the family talked in the living room.

The house was perfectly situated by a creek and it was only about a minute run from the beach. The house itself was less like a house and more like a log mansion. There were three homes in one, a 5 bedroom main house, a 3 bedroom guest house and a 2 bedroom coach house, all of which were decorated perfectly. It was very elegant but warm and homey with cabin like fixtures and decor. The main house had two large dining rooms and two large living rooms, as well as a large kitchen. There was also a medium sized library/office area towards the back and the laundry room was off the kitchen. The house also had a large media room and game room.

All in all, the estate had 10 bedrooms, each with their own closet and bathroom. The master bedroom was the largest, with its own separate sitting room two fully stocked walk-in closets and a bathroom suit the size of a large bedroom. I could already see the sitting room being converted into a nursery until our future kids were old enough to sleep in their own rooms. The fact that it was 3 houses in one was perfect because anywhere we went there were several pack members and imprints that would follow. There would be a time that the other pack members would stop phasing and out on their own but we had at least 3 wolves that would stay immortal. This wasn't just our home; it was our pack's new home. This home could house the entire pack if we wanted to; there was no question about it. We would have to leave it one day, once it became too suspicious for us to stay, but the house would be passed down to the next alpha. Possibly one of our own kids.

"Don't forget that we also got you a condo by the university so that you both can live there until you are ready to move back here." Daddy told us, successfully breaking my train of thought about kids. My family had given us the perfect home to live once we were ready to come back home to raise our family. I couldn't wait! Two years was a long time but I liked the idea of coming back home with my degree ready to start my life.

"Thank you so much everyone. This is truly amazing. I love it! Its perfect, just perfect."

"We're glad you like it honey." Grandma told me.

"The kitchen is stocked and you have food for tonight and tomorrow before your flight." She told us.

"Alright people. Let's give the love birds some space." Leah said as she winked at me. I laughed. They all left and it was just Jacob and I in our new home.

"I can't believe this place."

"I know. I don't think the hotel we'll stay in tomorrow will be as nice as this." He commented. I giggled.

"So Mrs. Black, rumor has it that you're pretty tired."

"Dog tired." I lied. The thrill of the new house had completely invigorated me.

"I guess I should put you to bed." He said in a suggestive tone that made my insides tremble.

"I think that will be an excellent idea Mr. Black." He swept me up in his arms and went straight to the bedroom. He kissed me as soon as we passed the threshold of our bedroom and laid me on the bed, never breaking our kiss. His arms were on either side of my head and I felt his lower body against mine. His lower body was moving in circular motions against my lower belly as we kissed. He was driving me crazy, making my desire grow unbearable. My hands, which had been feeling the strong panes on his back through his shirt, grabbed a fistful of his shirt and ripped it. He broke our kiss for a moment to remove the remaining material and to help me remove my dress. I was grateful aunt Alice got me a dress with a zipper instead of an endless string of buttons. He unzipped me and slowly slid the dress off to reveal the white laced lingerie aunt Alice had gotten me. Jacob's large hand touched the delicate lace starting from my left cleavage and trailing down my chest, then to my waist and hip, until it ended on my lower belly. My breathing grew hard and I felt his slow sensual movement.

"You are so fucking beautiful." He told me. I looked at his eyes and I saw the awe and admiration they held. Both of our hearts were racing and the look of love in his eyes made me loose all control. My emotions exploded out of me and he gasped when he felt the combination of love and arousal I was feeling. His eyes closed for a moment and and he shivered. I touched his arms to get his attention and he looked at me with a stained but loving smile.

"I love you so much Jacob."

"You are my life Renesmee. I love you." He told me before his lips crashed onto mine and devoured me. His hands started moving again and I felt his large hand envelop my right breast. He pinched my nipple making me gasp. He started kissing my neck massaging its tender spot with his tongue and then trailing down until he got to my left breast. He released it from the brazier and sucked my nipple making me moan.

"Jake!" I said as the scent of my arousal saturated the air in the room. He growled. I knew he was feeling everything I was as the moment. I couldn't stop my gift even if I wanted to. He removed my top and ripped off the matching lace thong I was wearing. He was kneeling between my thighs, just staring at me. I was completely exposed but there wasn't an ounce of insecurity inside me. His eyed grew even hungrier as he looked at my naked body. There was something feral about the way he looked at me. It made me the area between my legs throb and he hissed when we both felt it. He pulled himself to a standing position and took off his pants and underwear. He was standing on the bed naked and fully erect at the base of the bed staring down at me. My excitement grew and I sat up, getting face to face with my husbands member.

"Ness…" He said in a hoarse whisper as I took him fully into my mouth. I felt his hand grab my hair and his hips started move his his slightly while in my mouth. I felt him grow harder and my core throbbed painfully. He stopped and pulled out of my mouth. I was about to protest but one look from him silenced me.

"Not yet." I nodded.

"Lay back." And I did. He knelt before me and my legs opened for him mechanically. Again I was completely exposed with his eyes glaring hungrily right at my throbbing core. I could feel the cold air between my legs. 'I must be dripping wet', I thought.

"You are and I can't wait to taste you." He told me as his head lowered between my legs. I left a warm hard tongue lick along the length of my core and then dip hard within my folds. I screamed as he fucked me with his hardened tongue in and out licking my juices. Then his lips came on my clit suctioning hard and his fingers fucked me rapidly and rabidly. It felt amazing and the more pleasure I felt the more rapid his fingers became. First two then three fingers entered me in and out with such roughness that my orgasm exploded out with a scream from both of us. But he didn't stop. He quickly positioned himself on top of me and entered me in one quick move. We both groaned in pleasure but he didn't move.

"Are you ok?" He asked my even though he could feel through my gift that I wasn't in any pain.

"Please Jacob. Please…" I bed him and my hips started moving on their own accord, desperate for more. He hissed and moved against me pounding into me in circular movements that made my eyes role back. The amount of pleasure was too much for him and I could see that the bit of control he had regained when he was worried he entered me too roughly was gone. His hips moved in wild abandonment against mine. The hard slap of skin against skin only made my pleasure grow more uncontrollable and we both exploded together. I screamed and he roared feeling both his orgasm and my own. He then collapsed next to me. His body was trembling a bit. We were both breathing hard, exhausted from our lovemaking. My body felt like spaghetti so I don't know how he managed to pull me into his arms in a sweaty warm embrace. I laid on his chest, unable to move and he kissed my hair over and over again.

"Are you ok sweetheart?" He asked me.

"I am more than just ok." I turned my head up to look into his eyes. "Are you ok?"

"Oh yeah. I'm sorry I lost control I just wasn't prepared to feel both of our pleasures. That was intense."

"Well I'm certainly not sorry. You are welcome to lose control any time. It was amazing!"

"Yeah. It really was. I'm glad I didn't hurt you. You were so tight when I entered you, I got worried, but I didn't feel any discomfort from you."

"That's because you felt amazing. Everything you do feels amazing." I kissed his chest over and over again as my memories of our lovemaking got me aroused all over again. He moaned as he felt it. I had no clue how stop my gift from projecting because there were too many emotions coursing through me. I was just gonna have to put up with being in my head for the next few hours.

"I don't mind that at all. I guess it's a good thing it's a long plane ride for the honeymoon cause there is no way you are sleeping tonight, Mrs. Black." He roled on top of me and I could feel him hardening against me as he kissed my neck.

"I wasn't planning on letting you sleep either, Mr. Black." I told him and we spend the rest of the night making love in our new home.

* * *

**Renesmee**

We spent our honeymoon in a private villa in the Greek islands. We explored the island a bit but we spent over half out time making love. We nicknames the the place, 'Pleasure Island' before we returned to our new life. Needless to say, it was an amazing honeymoon.

At first, our new life took some getting used to. It had never been just the two of us and though I loved being alone with my husband, I missed our big family dinners so Jacob and I decided to continue having dinner at the pack apartment. We had dinner with everyone almost every night and then we went home to study and make love (not always in that order). It was the perfect arrangement. I loved every minute of my married life.

Jacob was a kind attentive husband just as he had been when we were dating. We rarely ever disagreed. Jacob always let me have my way about the little things but we compromised about the big things. Our biggest disagreement was about starting a family. I was ready and it made me angry that keeping his promise to my parents was more important to him than starting a family. So about a year and a half after our wedding, on a usual night after the pack dinner, I finally had enough. We got home and we had our very screaming match. It was my fault. I literally exploded at him in a way that I didn't even recognize.

"You have one semester left Renesmee." I could tell he was trying very hard to keep his temper at bay so that mine wouldn't keep escalating. Usually it was my job to control _his_ temper but I was steaming. I was just so fed up with his resistance. I wanted to hit something.

"Exactly! So what the hell does it matter if I get pregnant a bit earlier. By the time that the semester is over we can be at our home with our baby." I was still yelling. I just couldn't get my emotions under control.

"Are you really that unhappy with it being just us?" He asked my sadly. His tone finally broke through my anger.

"Of course not! I love you but its been just us for almost a decade, I have been waiting so long for this. I want to start our life, our family. Is a promise to my parents more important that our future?"

"This is not about your parents. This is about us. We have eternity together, we can have a whole army of babies if you want but we will wait until the time is right. We have school and the pack and I am not going to jeopardize either of our graduations on a whim." He told me sternly and again I ignited.

"You think that me wanting a baby is on a whim?! Its good to know that I am still a capricious little girl in your eyes!" I yelled at him again with tears in my eyes.

"I've never thought that about you! What is wrong, why are you acting this way? You never yell at me like this."

"I just really want this Jacob and it breaks my heart that you don't." There were tears in my eyes and I knew he could see.

"I want this too just not right this moment." He said softly, trying to calm me. I tried to bit down my sob but I couldn't so I walked out the door instead.

"Where are you going?"

"I need some fresh air. I'm going to talk to Leah." I didn't look at him as I walked out but I could feel the hurt he was feeling through our imprint connection. I ran over to Leah's house and knocked on the door. I had cried the entire way to the house so I was mortified when Kal was the one to answer the door. His concern was clear on his face.

"What has happened? Are you hurt? Where is Jacob?" He asked quickly ask he took me into the house. Leah, Harry, and Chris heard him so they appeared in the entryway quickly.

"No. Everyone is fine. I'm sorry Kal, I didn't mean to worry you, Jake and I just had a huge fight and I can't stop crying." He looked at me kindly and nodded. He stood aside and took a good look at me. His expression changed. He looked confused.

"I will leave you with Leah then so that you can… girl talk?" He asked Harry. Harry laughed and nodded. Both boys left and Kal followed after them. Kal looked at me again as Leah walked over to me. His expression was still confused but he walked out as Leah and I went to the living room. I told her what happened and she listened quietly which was unusual for her. She always had some snappy comment.

"Am I being so unreasonable?" I asked her once I was done. She shrugged.

"No but neither is he. I get the whole baby thing but why can't you just wait until the end of the semester?"

"I'm ready Leah. I feel like my entire life I've been waiting. I had to wait to grow so that I can marry Jacob and now I have to wait again to start a family? I'm tired of it and it drives me crazy that he still goes to my parents to make decisions about _our_ life." The whole situation was exasperating.

"Your parents always had him by the balls when it came to you. It's going to be hard to break him from that." She was right. Old habits break hard.

"I'm his now. And this is our life not my parents."

"I know kid. I know." She told me as she put her arm around me. It was very uncharacteristic of her. Being this close to her I noticed her scent was different too.

"You're being too nice and you smell different. What's going on?"

"Nothing!" Her face flushed which was also completely uncharacteristic of her. Her eyes were guarded.

"Leah Clearwater!" I could tell she was worried about what she was about to say. It was as if she didn't want to offend me or hurt me.

"Ness. I don't even know how to tell you this. I'm..." As she looked at me, at that moment it was like I could read her mind just by looking into her eyes.

"You're pregnant." I said in a gasp and she got even more worried. New tears formed in my eyes and I hugged my best friend tightly.

"Leah! Oh my gosh! How far along are you? Why didn't you tell me?!" I let her go and waited for her explanation.

"I know this a sensitive issue for you. Only Kal, Carlise and Edward know." She told me sheepishly.

"Leah! No matter how much I want a baby, I would never be anything but happy for you."

"Thanks. I was just worried I would be adding fuel to the fire. I haven't even told Harry yet. He and Kal finally have a father son relationship and I am worried about how this might affect him."

"He's going to be ecstatic."

"I hope so. Thanks for taking this so damn well." I rolled my eyes at her.

"Are you kidding! I can't wait for my new little niece of nephew. I still wish I were pregnant but now that I know I am going to be an aunt again, I guess I can wait. I want to give you and my new niece or nephew my full attention."

"This is so weird Ness. We have been trying for over a fucking year. Carlisle said that wolves have a breeding season so I guess we finally hit the bulls eye with mine."

"Oh Leah!" I hugged her again excitedly. My mood revitalized, we went to the kitchen for a snack. I was truly happy for Leah but I also wished it could be me.

* * *

**Jacob**

I starred at the door in shock. I finally snapped out of it when Daisy whined from under the table where she was hiding. She had never heard us fight like that either and she hated it as much as I did. I pulled out my phone, needed to talk to someone.

"Bells?"

"Hey Jake. What's up?" Her musical voice sounded happy.

"I need to talk. Can I come over?"

"Of course! Come on over."

I ran as fast as I could to her house, going through our conversation. I really didn't think I was being unreasonable. When I arrived at the house Bella was in the kitchen with Alice. Alice was sitting on the counter swinging her legs like a toddler.

"Hi Jakey. You look upset." Alice told me. She pouted sympathetically maker seem even more childlike. I leaned against the counter next to her.

"Nessie and I had a fight, a huge one. She had never yelled at me like that before. Usually, I'm the one who yells. She left crying. I don't know what to do." I told them.

"What did you two fight about?" Bella asked as she brought me a sandwich.

"What do you think? She wants us to start a family."

"So what's stopping you?" Bella asked me with a coy smile.

"I thought you didn't want us to get pregnant until after we graduate." I was confused. I swear that sometimes she did this to drive me fucking crazy.

"You're both adults Jacob. When you were dating you had to listen to us because she was our daughter but you are married now. You two are a family and you have to make whatever decision is right for you guys." I was a little shock to hear her say that.

"Don't look so surprised." She said as she laughed her musical laugh. "It took me a while to get used to the idea too."

"Its hard to think of it that way. I mean she's always been my imprint but she's also always been your daughter."

"It takes a while for most human newlyweds to consider themselves one unit." Alice chimed in.

"We don't have that problem. I mean, I don't think." Was I afraid to be with Ness as our own family?

"You are here practically asking me for permission to get your wife pregnant." Alice laughed at the way she said it. I laughed to. I hated it when she was right. I am so used to being in charge when it comes to my pack but when it comes to Nessie, it was always her parent's decision. Alice's laughter stopped suddenly. Her eyes had that glazed over look that meant she was getting a vision.

"What is it Alice?"

"An invitation from Volterra. Actually it was more like a summoning for Jake and Nessie." I almost dropped my plate.

"I'm texting Edward." Bella said and immediately started texting. He was in the main house so it would only be a matter of seconds before he arrived.

"Duilio knows I would never take Nessie to Italy. That's why he comes here to visit instead."

"It wasn't from Duilio. It was from all of them, like an official summoning." She said as Edward and Jasper walked in.

"Why?" I asked her.

"I'm not sure. I…" She trailed off again with a follow up vision, Jasper was next to her in a second. She gasped suddenly which made me very worried. I looked at Edward but he just had a strange look of confusion and something else I couldn't recognize. Edward looked at me and then he looked at Bella. He smiled at her and at me which made me very frustrated.

"What is it, dammit?!" He walked over to Bella who was standing next to me. He hugged her and then he put his hand on my shoulder to get my attention.

"She's pregnant. You're going to be a father, Jacob."

"What? But we've been… I mean… she's pregnant?"

"Alice saw Bella holding a baby. She looked just like you but with Ness's curls."

"She? I'm going to have daughter?" I felt like I was about to faint. I could almost see her now.

"Yes, a human daughter by the looks of it. This is why they will summon you but don't worry about that." Alice told me. Don't fucking worry?! Was she joking?!

"What do you mean don't worry? What do they want with my daughter?!" I tried not to growl at her but the idea that the Volturi might come for my little girl was making me crazy.

"They probably weren't expecting your children to be human so they're going to state their concerns. I don't think its a sentencing, otherwise they would have come to us with the entire guard like last time. I think its just protocol. They are trying to show the world that they are in power. Beside's you know Duli would never let anyone hurt us." Alice told me. Everyone was really quiet and then Bella, of all people, jumped up in excitement and hugged me. It's funny how the entire mood in the room had changed in that moment. I felt my eyes sting as tears started to form. I was going to be a father.

"I gotta find Nessie." I told them quickly. She was probably still at Leah's.

"I'll call Leah and have them come to the house. You can tell her and the rest of the family when she arrives." Edward told me.

"Actually, I think I want to tell her alone. Make it special. Let's just get the family together tomorrow."

"I think that's a good idea if Alice can keep it a secret." Bella said skeptically.

"Isabella Cullen! I am perfectly capable of keeping secrets!"

"Ha!" Bells retorted. I shook my head at them. Somethings never changed.

"I'm going to go get her." I told them. I went out the door in a hurry and rushed over to Leah's house. In a few moments my life had completely changed. My wife was pregnant and we were going to be a real family.


	25. Chapter 25

**LEMON ALERT! Another lemon towards the beginning. Its the last one so enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Renesmee**

Leah and I were having dessert when Jacob barged in through the door. He was breathless.

"What's going on?"

"Baby I'm sorry about before. I want to talk, can we go out for a walk?"

"Ok. Is something wrong?"

"No." He told me smiling. He looked at me with such a loving look that I would have followed him anywhere.

"Alright you idiots. Go on and make up. I have some news of my own I need to take care of." I smiled at her reassuringly and then I went with my wolf out into the forest. He led me to the lake where he proposed which made me think he was up to something.

"What are you up to?" I asked him. He smiled at me and scooped me up into his arms and set me on a large stone by the lake. He kneeled before me and held on to both of my hands. He kissed my palms and then he looked up into my eyes. There were tears in his eyes which brought tears to mine. I could feel the emotion he was feeling at it was overwhelming me. I stroked his face and used my gift to tell him how much I loved him and that I was sorry for fighting.

"I'm sorry too especially because we didn't have to fight." He told me gently.

"I know." I told him but he shook his head. He was smiling and giving me that loving look he was giving me before.

"No baby, you don't. That's why I brought you here. We didn't have to fight about it because… We're pregnant Ness. We're going to have a baby!" His words didn't make any sense. He saw the confusion in my face and continued.

"Alice had a vision. You're pregnant baby. There's a little girl growing inside of you. Alice saw her. She'll have your curls." I felt like I was having an out of body experience. His words hung in the air. My emotion couldn't be contained and my joy burst out of me with a force that surprised us both. I placed my hand of my belly and closed my eyes. I felt my tears trickle down my cheeks and a second later I felt Jacob pepper my face with kisses and trailed down my neck to my abdomen. It wasn't sexual, it was loving and gentile.

"I can't believe it. I mean, I do but... we had been so careful."

"I guess not careful enough." We both laughed.

"We have to go tell momma and ... well daddy probably already knows and told momma."

"Yea, they know already so does Jasper, but the rest of them don't. I told them we can tell everyone tomorrow but we can head over there now if you want."

"No, tonight I celebrate with my husband and tomorrow we celebrate with everyone else. Take me home Jacob." I told him in a soft voice because I could hold in all the emotion I was feeling. There was a certain pride that came along with knowing that I had his baby, our baby, growing inside of me. I needed him. I needed him to love me and to make love to me in acknowledgement of the life we had just created. Jake took me in his arms, bridal style and he ran home at top speed. It wasn't far and when we got home we walked through the threshold and laid me gently on out bed. He crawled on top of me until he was able to reach my forehead. He kissed it and his lips trailed soft kisses down the side of my face and jaw before he hovered over my lips.

"Tonight I'm making love to the mother of my child." He told me. His eyes were dark with desire but also full of love. I put my hand around his neck and brought him closer to me. I suddenly needed him near me. He took my upper lip and I suckled his lower lip with a new passion that was foreign but also completely familiar. His hands made trails up and down my waist as my hands found their way to the hem of his shirt. He lifted for a moment to allow me to pull it off and I threw the shirt aside. He was on me again. I felt his tongue stroke the roof of my mouth as our tongues danced. I could spend all night kissing this man like this.

His hands started to undo the buttons of my blouse gently. It was infuriatingly slow. My fire was already ablaze and I needed his hands on me. He must have sensed my need or maybe I was projecting because, without warning he moved the fabric of my blouse aside and took on of my right breast onto his mouth in a wide open movement that allowed him to draw circles around my nipple with his tongue right before he suctioned it hard.

"Jacob!" I screamed in ecstasy. My other breast was still covered by the other flap of my blouse because the last button was not yet undone. As he tortured and tormented my right breast, I felt the other hand unbutton the last blasted button. I wasn't wearing a bra so my left breast was finally free. He took it into his mouth and gave it the same treatment he had the right. I moaned at the stark contrast, as my right breast was now wet and cold from the night air and the left was warm in his hot mouth.

I ran my hands through his hair and he moaned. He's always liked that. He then looked at me. His eyes penetrated into mine for a moment before he began trailing kisses down my abdomen stopping for a moment to nuzzle my belly. I giggled. He looked up and smiled at. It was such a loving smile that I felt my eyes sting with tears because I was so overwhelmed by the emotions I was feeling. He crawled up to me again and took my lips only this time out kissing wasn't slow. We kissed in earnest as our love and passion suffused us. He unzipped my jeans in the mist of our passion and helped me wiggle out of them slowly until they were long gone and forgotten. He then straitened and looked at my body. I was only wearing a thong and my opened blouse left my chest exposed.

"You are so beautiful. I am so lucky to have you in my life."

"You are everything to me. My husband. Father of my child... Love of my existence." I told him. He smiled again and wordlessly he slipped off my thong and opened my legs. I was completely exposed to him but this was the man I trusted with everything that I was. His eyes somehow got even darker and I could visibly see him grow tighter in his jeans. He got up in one movement to stand on the bed and remove his jeans. He stood before me fully erect and he was glorious. I could feel myself flood in excitement. I felt like I would spontaneously combust. I needed him to touch me. As if he could read my mind he shook his head.

"Tonight, I want to take in every inch of you skin and memorize it. I want to be able to notice every change of my wife's beautiful body as our baby grows inside of you." He told me as his eyes scanned my body. He finally lowered his body and was on his knees beside me. He kissed my belly again before he laid next to me. His hand stoked my skin so gently but the effect still left trails of fire on my skin and left me panting. He was looking at my body, examining it, measuring it with his eyes. Finally he touched me in the place I wanted most.

"Fuck Ness! Baby, you're so wet." He smiled coyly and moved between my legs. He dipped his head between my thighs and I felt his fingers open me lower lips. When I felt his tongue I moaned loudly and closed my eyed but he only took one swift vertical lick. I opened my eyes just as he suctioned hard against my clit. I screamed as his tongue danced in circular motions along my slit. His fingers penetrated me and started to move in and out of my in a slow torturing pace that built my pleasure slowly.

"Jake!" I needed him inside me bu pleas fell on deaf ears as he pumped me slowly with his fingers and his tongue circled around my clit. My pleasure was building and quickly it become too much to contain and I exploded, my gift projecting out of me and onto him. He moaned and the vibrations of his mouth only increased my pleasure. I wanted more. I needed more.

"You taste too fucking good. I'm sorry baby. I was planning to just take care of you but I need you NOW." I growled that last part and was on top of me.

"Please Jake. Just take me. I'm yours." I told him and he positioned his pelvis between my thighs. I wrapped my legs around his waist and he entered me in one move. We both groaned.

"You're always so damn hot in there! Like heated velvet."

"So are you. Please Jake. Burn with me." I begged him moving my hips in circles so that I could stimulate my clit against his heated skin. He thrust into me slowly again, allowing the fire to build slowly. My legs were around his torso so it was easy for me to meet him thrust for thrust. My hips moved against him in an equality slow rhythm. We both made love staring into each other's eyes, slowly letting our pleasure build until our powerful orgasms left us spent and trembling on the bed. It always amazed me when Jake could make the missionary position hotter than the entire Kama Sutra. This was definitely one of those occasions. We made love several times that night. Each time different from the last, each time hotter than the last until we finally saw the sun come up.

I laid lazily across his chest as he drew circles on my back with his fingertips. He held me tightly against him and sighed contently. I smiled before I kissed his chest and then I turned my head up to look at him.

"What?" I asked him, wondering what was going through his mind.

"I love you, I love you both so much." He told me. The emotions were clear on his face but I was always happy to hear those words come out of his mouth.

"We love you too. Forever." I kissed his lips softly before we both positioned ourselves to sleep. I slowly drifted into a magical dream where Jacob and I held a beautiful baby girl in our arms. Our baby girl.

* * *

**Harry**

Chris and I walked out the door as soon as we heard girl talk. Kal came out with us and we went out to hunt. He phased into an eagle and watched over us as Chris and I hunted. Chris already looked like my babysitter. I really didn't need another one but Kal was just being protective. Kal was even more protective than Embry. Embry... I missed Embry and I felt guilty sometimes because I really liked Kal. He made my mom so happy. As much as Embry wanted to give her that, he couldn't because of the worry that either one of them could imprint at any moment.

Kal was firm and detached which was nothing like Embry had been but he was caring and protective when he needed to be. It was never going to be like when Embry was around and he would put his arm around me and mom as we watched a movie. Kal came from a different time so instead mom would snuggle against him and I would sit on a different sofa or on the floor when we had movie night. But that didn't make Kal a bad father. He went through a lot of trouble to make me forget about my sire. He and I would talk a bout my feelings, my past, my future. Even though our relationship consisted mainly of talking, I could not ignore that the biological connection I had to Kal was something tangible which was something Embry and I couldn't share. A part of me still wished Embry was my father but the more I got to know Kal the more that feeling was starting to disappear. I was Kal's descendant and that meant something to me. Embry, like my other uncles, made me feel like I was part of the family but Kal made me feel like I was his pack, or flock I guess. Even with all his prejudices, Kal claimed me as his from the moment he realized who he was and I would always be grateful to him for that. I still felt a little insecure about who I was but it wasn't as bad anymore. I had to admit that I was starting to love him like a father even if I couldn't accept it just yet. Nevertheless, I could even sense him when he was near me sometimes as I did now. That feeling started getting stronger over the past few months. Probably because I was finally starting to accept him.

"Hey, why are you so quiet?" Chris asked me. He had throne a piece of bark at my head too but I caught it.

"I was just thinking about stuff." I shrugged and threw the piece had enough to have it bounce of a tree and hit him on the head. He looked annoyed.

"You worried about Ness. I'm sure your mom has it handled." He picked up a rock this time and gave me an evil smile before he flung it at me at full speed. I dodged it, but just barely.

"Naw. Jake and aunt Ness will be making up by tonight. I was thinking about mom and Kal." He was about to throw another one at me but he stopped when I mentioned Kal. Now that he was older he knew when to be serious and when to mess around. Kal and mom's relationship was still a bit of a sour subject for me.

"What about them?"

"They're happy and I really like Kal." I confessed to him. He smiled and nodded.

"Yea, he's pretty cool now that he doesn't hate us." I laughed.

"Yea, I guess that does make it better. Hey, do you want to go see what Eve is up to?" I said trying to change the subject.

"There's nothing interesting going on at the house. Eve's out with grandma and grandpa Cullen. My parents are probably out getting busy and uncle Jaz and uncle Edward are out hunting and Alice was torturing Bella with online shopping when I left but then I felt uncle Jake there a while ago so I don't know."

"Do you want to play video games?"

"Sure but let's wait for aunt Leah. She's on her way." We waited for a few moments and mom appeared through the bushes.

"Hi boys. Whatcha up to?"

"We were going to play video games. How's aunt Nessie?" I asked her.

"Jake came to talk to her. I'm sure they're fine." She looked up to the tree and waved down Kal.

"So what's up?" Chris asked her as Kal flew down.

"We just wanted to talk to you guys." She said as Kal jumped down from the trees fully dressed. He walked up to my mom and took her hand. They looked at each other and she nodded as him. He nodded back as if they had just had some silent conversation. It was very irritating.

"We have some news and I wanted to tell you before we told the rest of the family."

"What is it?" She smiled and placed her hand on her stomach. Shit!

"We're pregnant. You're going to have a little brother or sister. And _you_ are going to have a new little cousin." She told Chris.

"Sweet!" I heard Chris say at a distance even though he was right next to me. My own heart was beating faster and my mind was racing. I saw Chris hug my mom and then shake Kal's hand but I couldn't move.

"Harry?" The hurt in my mom's voice brought me out of my stupor. I smiled at her and hugged my pregnant mother.

"Congratulations mom. This is really great. I'm really really happy for you guys." I told them with the best smile I could muster. My mom looked into my eyes and the smile she had was gone. Kal looked at the two of us. He kissed my mom's forehead and whispered into her ear to get the bath ready because he and I were going for a walk. Great! More talking. 'Going for a walk' was always Kal's code for talking. Mom and Chris left us. Kal started walking and I followed. He went over to the highest tree in the forest and started to climb it in human form. I followed him up wordlessly. Kal loved it up in the trees.

"I thought you wanted your mother to be happy." He said when I finally reached him at the top.

"I do." I sat on the same branch he was but I made sure there was some distance between us. He was looking out into the sky but he turned to me and lokked at me with concern.

"Then why are you upset at this news?"

"I'm not upset. I'm glad you guys are having a baby. Mom always wanted children. I am glad that she finally gets to have one the _right way_." I looked away because I didn't want him to see my turmoil.

"But you wish it was with Embry?" He asked me in a sad voice that forced me to look at him.

"No! You and my mom are meant to be together, have a family. I get that. You're a great dad too." I told him. It was the first time I called him my dad, but that was just it. He wasn't my dad and he never would be. Not not anyways.

"This new world is so different. I am trying to understand but I do not. I don't understand why you are upset about having a younger brother or sister." I felt my face get warm as I tried to swallow down the emotion that was building. I didn't say anything so he continued.

"Your mother was worried that you might react this way. She said that you would feel rejected. I know I have not been a proper father for you but I am trying my best to show you that you are not rejected. Have I rejected you recently?"

"That's not it Kal." I closed my eyes and a tear escaped. I hated myself for it. I promised myself a long time ago that I wouldn't let him see me cry again. Kal was old school. He was from a time when men didn't cry. I had to show him I was strong but I was about to loose it. I jumped off the branch and fell to the ground on my feet. Kal quickly followed me and took my arm before I could run off on him.

"Please help me understand, son." I looked away to hide the tears that were forming.

"I am not you son. You'll have a real son now. The son you and my mom were supposed to have. Where does that leave me?" I hated that I sounded like such a whiny bitch. I wasn't a child. I was finally starting to look and feel like a teenager. Kal was quiet for a while. I hadn't looked at him so when I did I was surprised to see emotion in his face. He was upset. Maybe even angry.

"You are a part of me. You are my son!" He told me. He put his hands on both my shoulders. "I have told you this before. I am connected to all of my descendants including you. As much as I hate what happened to your mother, you were meant to exist. You were meant to bring me to her."

"The imprint brought you to her. I wasn't meant for anything. I'm just a _mistake_." My tears finally came out and I tried to get away from him but he held me in place and forced me to face him.

"No my son. You are no mistake. Harry... There is something I have been keeping from you and your mother. I think its time for you both to understand how important you truly are."

"What do you mean?"

"After you told me what happened to your mother I left for a while but when I came back, who was the first person I visited?"

"Me." I didn't get where this was going. Of course he tried to patch things up with me. It was the only way he could show my mom how sorry he really was.

"It wasn't the imprint that called me back here. It was you. I felt your spirit like a beacon from the moment you were born, possibly even conceived. I felt your pain calling out to me. I can feel your mother through the imprint but that was only after I saw her and imprinted on her. You, I felt before I ever imprinted on your mother. You I felt though your spirit. If you had never existed, I might still be flying aimlessly without any recollection of who I was. I would have never found your mother."

"How could I have possibly done that?" I asked him skeptically. He was always trying to get me to believe that I was someone important. Sometimes I think he was just making up stories to get me to like him so I gave him points for effort.

"This new body may not be genetically related to Taha Aki or his descendants but my spirit is. I have always been a spirit warrior and my spirit can recognize when another spirit warrior has come to this world." WTF! Well that was certainly a new angle. I sure as hell wasn't expecting that one.

"What?! You think I am a spirit warrior?! That's impossible. I'm a half leech half wolf hybrid. Carlise doesn't even know what I am except that I am a mutation."

"I was waiting until you were older to tell you this. But you are different from my previous children. You have the mind of a young man even though you have the body of a boy."

"What were you waiting to tell me?" I growled at him. This lie was getting out of hand.

"I realized what you were, the day you used your power on me. Like I've told you before, you did not paralyze my body, you trapped my spirit. You broke its connection from my body but you are still new to your powers so you did not know how to take the spirit out so I stayed there, disconnected, trapped in my body. Manipulating the spirit is not the gift of a cold one. These are the gifts of a spirit warrior. It has been so long since I felt another spirit warrior. They all died and my new son's lost their ability because they were bonded to the wolf. You are not a wolf. Your parentage would not allow you to shift into any single form. Your spirit is free to connect with the world around it as your ancestors did before the wolf, before my human form died and my new form changed everything." This had to be some other bullshit story to get me to like him. What he was saying was impossible.

"Yeah right! I don't feel like a spirit warrior. The only power I have is _his_. I mean, I always guessed my heritage merged with _his_ gift somehow but I can't be a spirit warrior. How could I have brought you here?" It was hard to keep the anger from my voice. I hated mentioning him. Kal nodded and looked to the sky.

"Your hatred for your father has made you reject your power. You have closed yourself to something that is a part of who you are and in doing so you have closed yourself to all of your gifts. Your power doesn't just come from him, it also comes from your ancestors, from me… You can feel it already. You can feel your mother, me, the pack. It is their spirits that you are sensing just as I sense the. The pack cannot sense one another across the distance unless they are in wolf form. You and I are connected to them regardless of the wolf because you and I are spirit warriors." Fuck! I staired at him in shock. I was speechless because he was right. I could sense him, my mom, the packs. I always could but I never thought anything of it. Kal crouched a bit so that we were at eye level.

"You are the first spirit warrior in a thousand years. You are my legacy. You are the legacy that the wolf took from me. If you let me, I can help you become a spirit warrior and our heritage will be restored." He told me hopeful.

"You really think I can become a spirit warrior? How?" He smiled please and straightened up again.

"I would be honored to help you become who you were born to be. I told you before. You are my son, the son I never thought could exist. I know that asking you to accept your gifts is difficult for you but you ARE a spirit warrior. You have barely begun to discover what your powers can really do..." I got this horrible feeling at the pit of my stomach and then a thought occured to me. The only reason he was being nice to me this whole time was because he wanted our heritage restored. I could feel that insecurity and the rejection that usually came with it wash over me. Tears stung my eyes again and I felt my anger build.

"What if I don't want to be a spirit warrior? What if I reject my heritage?" I asked him. He looked at my face and his expression was hurt. I felt instantly guilty. He placed one hand on my shoulder again to get my attention.

"Even if you choose not to, I am proud and grateful that you exist and that you brought me here. No matter how many children Leah and I may have, you will always by my son." Kal came from a different time so he never showed much emotion. However, moments like these it was hard for him to hold back the emotion he felt. I could see it on his face and I could feel it somehow too. Who was I fucking kidding? I wanted this. I wanted it bad. I wanted to be connected to my family and I wanted Kal to be my father.

"I would be honored too. I _want_ to be your son." He placed his hand on my neck and brought me closer to him. He looked at me straight in the eyes with an intense look at made me feel secure.

"You _are_." I put my arms around his neck and hugged him. I had never done that before and I wasn't sure how it would be received but my insecurities went away when he returned my embrace and said, "Thank you."

"Thank _you,_ dad. I am happy to be your son and to be a spirit warrior." When he let go of me, I saw that his face was full of emotion even though he wasn't crying. He smiled at me and I saw how happy my acceptance made him. He put his arm around my shoulders and we walked home, together.

We returned home and told mom and Chris. They were both as shocked as I was. It was a lot of information to get in one night so we all went to bed early. I could tell that something had changed inside of me. Knowing that I was a spirit warrior had given me a new perspective in life. I was no longer the son of a cold one; I was the first heir of a spirit warrior.

Chris slept over and we spent the rest of the night speculating about what this meant and about what my new powers would be. I was hoping that I could manipulate the elements, like Benjamin, but the legends said that every spirit warrior connected to nature in different ways. What surprised me the most was that I of all people, tuned out to be a spirit warrior.

Chris had his own ideas about this. He remembered that Carlisle had mentioned that when the wolf and vampire genes had neutralized and mutated. This happened when wolves and vampires bred. Sam and the other wolves had hated vampires, but vampires did not turn Taha Aki into a wolf. It was human greed that cause Taha Aki to blend with the wolves. The only connection between the vampires and the wolves was venom. Vampires and male hybrids had venom which is why Chris the Cullen's smelled vile to the pack. The scent of vampire, which was caused by their venom, activated the wolf genes but in turn vampire DNA de-activated wolf so that the spirit warrior could finally exist. This was probably why wolves had imprinted on half vampires. Thanks to the vampire lineage, soon there might me more spirit warriors. For the first time in my life, I was glad to be a half vampire. I still hated my 'sperm donor' but, for the first time in my life, I didn't hate myself. That was yet another gift that Kal, my father, had given me.

The following day, uncle Jacob called everyone to the main house. Apparently they had an announcement of their own. Based on what mom and aunt Ness had talked about, we thought that they were going to announce that they were going to start trying to have a baby. Kal was the only one who thought different. He said he felt an odd connection to aunt Nessie. As soon as he mentioned it, I felt it too. I felt so stupid because it was so obvious, just like it was so obvious of the new connection I was feeling from my mother. I laughed, out loud in front of everybody.

"Are you ok?" Eve whispered to me with a weird look. I nodded.

"Yea, I just have a feeling I know where this is going." I whispered back. I definitely knew what the announcement was but I don't think the rest of the family were prepared for what they announced.

"We're pregnant!" There was a long silence which was interrupted by Chris being an idiot.

"Awesome! Two new cousins!" Chris blabbed.

"Nice going dip shit!"

"What?" Aunt Rose asked looking at us.

Aunt Nessie laughed at us and she looked at my mom.

"Aw crap! I was hoping I could just email you all the news when I was for far away from the pixie." She told everyone.

"Eep!" Aunt Alice leaped out into the air clapping. Everyone started talking at once. Some people congratulated, some confessed they already knew. Kal looked at everyone confused.

"Why is the little cold one so excited?" He asked mom quietly.

"Because she gets two new dress up dolls. Alice shows her love by shopping."

"That's right! I can't wait to get started!" Mom growled and aunt Nessie laughed. Uncle Jake looked so proud at his wife. Aunt Nessie and my mom were both beaming in their own way. Mom had her arms crossed trying to look annoyed but her eyes gave her away. I could sense how happy and excited she was. Aunt Nessie couldn't stop smiling. She looked and uncle Jake every few minutes and they both shared loving looks. Kal was next to my mom listening as she explained how she found out to aunt Rose. He wasn't big on public displays of affection. The most he would do was put an arm around mom or sit very close to her. At home it was a different story, but not in public so I was taken aback when he lovingly kissed her temple as she talked to aunt Rose about the baby. He smiled at me, realizing I was looking at them, and he signaled to the seat next to him. I walked over to them and smiled realizing how foolish I had been to from the start. This baby wasn't just a connection between my parents. He or she would be connected to me too because we were finally a family. We always had been and we always would be.

* * *

Training with Kal was hard. He couldn't remember his training because it was 3 lifetimes ago but he could remember his connection to the spirit world from when he turned into an eagle. Being a spirit warrior was about being connected to nature and the essence of the living things around me. Training consisted of a lot of trial and error. Uncle Jake asked the council to help by giving us any more information on the spirit warriors. For once, the council was more than happy to help me. They sent over several books and letters full of stories on the spirit warriors.

Kal suggested that I used me gift to guide me. My gift was not a mental power. If that was so, then Edward would have been able to read the minds of those that I froze. Having been frozen before, Kal said that my gift separated the mind/spirit from the body, only the spirit never got released because the body was still alive and separating the spirit from the body would could cause death when you didn't know what you were doing. It scared me a bit to think that I could kill people with my gift. The body could not survive without the spirit. That's why back in Taha Aki's time, spirit warriors were the only ones with the ability to separate the spirit and body while still remaining alive. I worked hard on separating myself from my body and within a few weeks I managed it. My spirit body was different from my physical one. After my first projection, it became easy to separate my mind and body. In my spirit body I was connected to the world in a way that I never thought possible. I could share myself with animals and see the world through their eyes.

Manipulating the elements was a whole other story. Spirit warriors were thought to manipulate all sourced of energy and pretty much everything had some kind of energy, people, animals, weather, rocks, wind, even time itself. The stories mentioned that even the most skilled warriors had difficulty with that. I tried to start with something easy like weather and the other elements but it was very hard. I could sense the wind, water and earth as energy but I was having a hard time making them do anything. It was a lesson that would have to wait because my family needed my attention.

Being around two pregnant supernatural women was no walk in the park. Aunt Nessie's body started to change to accommodate the growing baby. Her body started to become more human in a way. She became weaker and her scent was slightly different. Mom's body also changed. She couldn't phase anymore and her scent was also a bit different. Kal and Jake went a little nuts with the over protection. Uncle Jake practically carried aunt Ness around the house for her last trimester.

Mom would never allow that so Kal didn't even ask to do that type of stuff for her; instead, he would constantly watch her. Kal was very smart and observant. He never really asked mom for what she needed. He observed her and when he saw something, he stepped into action without ever asking. Like if mom would shift from one leg to another too much while she was cooking, he would walk up to her, take the spatula and tell her to go sit on the couch while he finished. She would go without protesting because his observations were always correct and she really was too tiered to be standing up. After dinner, he would rub her feet and she would get so relaxed that she would fall asleep on the couch and, then, he would then carry her off to their bed. It took me over a month to realize what he was doing. Once I figured it out, I confronted him.

"I may not remember much about my past life but I know I have been a husband many many times. Those instincts stay with you." He told me.

"I guess I better take notes then." I told him. He put his arm around me.

"I think that would be a very wise idea, just don't tell your mother." He warned me and I laughed. After that, he and I would smile at each other every time she fell for it. My, usually astute, mother never did figure it out so I guessed it was true what they said about pregnancy brain.

The women seemed to be having normal pregnancies so we had nine months to get ready for the babies; however, no amount of preparation prepared us for what happened after. None of us anticipated a betrayal. Alice still saw the summoning letter from Volterra. No matter what we did to try to keep aunt Nessie's pregnancy a secret, she still saw it coming. After months of hiding the pregnancy from everyone, it turned out that _we_ were the ones who let the Volturi know about the babies. They had been monitoring our computers, credit cards, travel, and they even had humans spy on us. The worst part was that Duilio was well aware of it. _He_ was the one who betrayed us.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to my #1 fan and best friend who so kindly went on FB to tell me that she got an alert for this chapter but it wasn't up. And who kept me motivated with all her comments. LOL! :) I hope you all enjoy this last chapter. Get ready for part 2 cause its coming next! Thank you to all of you who reviewed and a special thanks to all of you who gave me your insights and suggestions. I hope to hear from you again for the sequel:)**

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Duilio**

**_Three years ago..._**

I was irritated when my father and Caius came to me with their ridiculous suspicions. They were constantly harassing me. They took pleasure in teaming up to annoy me but at least it wasn't as bad as when Aro was around.

"The Cullens continue to grow. They are becoming more powerful with each acquisition. We must do something about this!" Caius ranted as he took off his robe to spar with me. He dropped the robe and took position. I attacked him quickly dodging his blows but the final one got me right at the ribs. I growled and he smiled.

"I agree. The Cullens are becoming a threat." Marcus said, feeding Caius's paranoia.

"I think they have more than proven they are not a threat. They could have eliminated us with the knowledge of Aro's betrayal and you both know it." I told them. Caius took advantage of my distraction and punched me in the gut bringing me to my knees. I panted, refusing of giving him the satisfaction of getting me agitated about the low blow.

"You are a Volturi Master now. Your loyalties are to us. I will not have you show favoritism to the Cullens!" Caius said their name with disgust. I growled again. It was getting harder and harder to control my anger.

"How dare you call my loyalty into question?!" I hissed at him, Caius had a way of making me loose my temper. His volatile nature made me become volatile in return. Voltera always changed me. Its like I became the worst of myself when I was with my father and the best of myself when I was with my family in Forks. I had to find a way to balance them both out. I attacked him again with more gusto and managed to rip a chunk of his arm. He roared and came after me violently.

"Enough!" Marcus growled loudly and we both stopped sparing. "My son has a point; nevertheless, I want to keep an eye on them."

"We should send some guard." Caius suggested as he reattached the chunk I ripped out.

"Gentlemen please. This is supposed to be a feast." Athenadora reminded us. She had been sitting on Caius's throne watching him spar with me and getting excited every time he struck me. It was disgusting! I looked at the six humans tied to the wall. They were all naked and gagged. Their hands were tied over their heads with ropes. I could see their terrified souls, their pain, their suffering. I hated it! I went to the table were Grace had set up my preferred method of drinking. There was a pitcher of donated blood and a golden chalice next to it. I served myself a glass but Caius came up to me and smacked it from my hand.

"Was that necessary!"

"I can't stand that awful stench of stale blood. You are Volturi!" He growled at my face.

"If you prefer to suckle the milk out of the cow like a fucking animal, then that is you choice! I like my milk from the carton!" I growled. Marcus already had a girl in his hand and he threw her at my feet. The girl's shoulder dislocated as she hit the floor hard and she screamed out in pain. I glared at him in warning but he didn't flinch. Caius took one of the men and he and Athenadora started 'feasting'.

"Drink!" My father commanded. "I can still smell the animal stench in your breath!" He growled harshly. I hissed and I picked up the girl by her dislocated shoulder. She screamed again and I sank my teeth into her neck. I saw the colors of her soul dim as I slowly killed her. Satisfied, Marcus took his pick of the buffet of humans. I sat on my throne and watched them. My face was hard. I hated this. I looked at the lifeless body of my victim and my stomach churned. It was cruel to kill her like that but I was afraid of what might have happened if I showed her mercy. She got off easy compared to what happened last time I returned from Forks. Nothing compared to what they did that time.

The fact that Marcus and Caius were significantly less cruel towards me was a testament to Aro's manic influence over his brothers. Aro was the one who wanted me dead from the start and since he couldn't get what he wanted, he would torture me instead. He couldn't hurt me physically, because Marcus would never allow it, but he found other ways to break me. Aro enjoyed breaking me and he got away with it by feeding into my father's insecurities and messing his head. Aro was constantly reminding my father about my feelings about the Cullens even though it was his own damn fault that I loved them. I closed my eys trying to forget the memory forming in my mind but there was no blocking it. How could I ever forget the worst moment in my life, second to Aria's death?

_Once I returned after Nessie and Leah's kidnap, I thought a lot about Jacob's words to me. He had chosen to stand up for what he believed in and I decided to do the same. I demanded stricter laws to protect hybrids and I refused to drink humans. Every feast they had they made me stand there and watch as they drained countless victims but it only made me want to stand up for myself even more. Aro decided to kick things up a notch by bringing a girl that was closer to my age into my chambers. She cried and begged me not to kill her. She was just a little girl and I was still a boy. I made the very stupid mistake of trying to save her. They found us in less than 10 minutes and brought us before the entire guard. All three brothers were furious. Caius was a sadistic bastard but Aro was truly insane and evil. Aro had Santos and Demetri break almost every bone in the girl's body in front of me. Her screams still haunted me. Aro told them to stop and then he took the girl by the hair and threw her at my feet._

_"Finish it." He told me cheerfully. I growled at him and I snapped the girl's neck, still refusing to drink._

_"You still challenge me boy?" Aro asked amused cheerful voice that grated my nerves. He gave a signal and Heidi came in with another young girl. This one actually looked like Nessie. My heart nearly stopped when I saw her. Aro smiled at my reaction and they started the process over again I didn't dare to look away, afraid that it might make matters worse. I could feel the hatred build in me._

_"Stop!" Marcus said. Aro then took the second girl and threw her my way with more force than the last one. I caught her this time and sank my teeth into her quickly trying to drain her as quickly as possibly so that she didn't have to suffer anymore._

_"Leave." Marcus told everyone. One by one the guard left until it was just the brothers and the wives. Marcus looked at Aro and then he and Calius both left with their wives. It was just Marcus and me. I attacked him and he quickly pinned me to the wall._

_"You are MY son! Not theirs!" He growled into my face. I could see the pain in his soul. He didn't want to have to do this. This was all Aro's idea and I knew it. Aro was the one who loved cruelty but it angered and hurt me that Marcus went along with it. I twisted and he let me go._

_"I don't care who you are. If you ever try this shit again, I will search the earth and gather every immortal I can find to finish you. I will not rest until you are all in ashes!" Marcus hit me straight across the face. I tasted my own blood in my mouth. It was the first time that he actually hit me outside of combat training. There was pain all across his soul. It had turned dark and the colors of guilt and disappointment marred and disjointed the colors of love he still felt for me. He hated seeing me in pain. He loved me but he wanted to control me, to turn me into him. I couldn't be like him. He turned and left me there with the two dead mangled girls. I finally let the tears leave my eyes. I felt a cold pair of arms come around me. It was Roberta. She was my father's personal guard and she was kind. I looked up at her and she smiled at me kindly. I also saw that Athenadora had returned._

_"You need to learn to play the game better, child. Much better." Athenadora told me. I looked at her. She signaled Roberta and Roberta stood aside._

_"I am glad that you stood up for yourself. It showed strength but you are not going to make the changes that you want by standing up to the brothers or angering them in this way. You must become like them, become one with them so that they can respect you enough to make the changes you desire." She wold me in her soft voice that made her seem innocent even though she wasn't._

_"Why? Why would I even bother with this wretched family?" _

_"Because what was done to those humans will pale in comparison to what will happen to the Cullens if you try to leave this family again." I was never filled with so much fear as I had at that moment. More tears escaped my eyes. Athenadora bent down and picked up my chin with her finger. She stroked the side of my cheek and smiled at me. To anyone else, it would have seemed like a tender moment but I knew better. I knew her intentions were far from noble. __Athenadora was equally cruel as she could be sweet. It was her form of manipulation and control.__ It was how she had Caius wrapped around her little finger. Which made them a deadly combination._

_"Learn to play the game, Duilio. Play it well and you will achieve all that you desire. Your father is ready to give you all that you want but you must show him you are one of us. They wont just give you the tittle of Volturi master. You must **earn it**. You must show them that you are **worthy**." She kissed my lips before turned and left the room. Roberta came back to me and helped me up._

_"What you did was very brave. I'm proud of you." She told me. I nodded._

_"Please make sure they have a proper burial."_

_"Of course young Master." Master..._ How I had yearned for that tittle and now it was finally mine. I swore to myself that I would change this family but the more time I spent with them the less it looked like a possibility. Everything I suggested was seen with scrutiny. As if any suggestion I had was related to the Cullens. They drained the rest of the humans and sat at their thrones. Athenadora sat at Caius's lap and nibbled at his ear. They all came from a time when people were open about sex but at least Caius wasn't much an exhibitionist. Aro on the other hand... It was yet another reason why I was so glad he and Sulpicia were both dead.

"So its settled." Caius said as he rubbed Athenadora's thigh and licked her neck, "We send guard to keep an eye on the Cullens."

"No. Alice would see them coming and they might see it as a threat. Bedside's the wolves will not allow anyone near their territory." He tuned his attention away from his wife and hissed at me in annoyance.

"Then what do you suggest, _boy_!" He growled at me.

"I suggest we stop acting like savages, _uncle_! Bullying others into submission will not work in our favor any longer. We live in a new world, gentlemen, a civilized world. The Cullens have impressed the vampire world by demonstrating the civility of their way of life. There was a time when we also impressed our community with out civilized mannerisms but that was all ruined by Aro. If you want what the Cullens have then we must learn to adapt." I walked over to mangled girl I had drained and tossed her body to the pile at the end of the room with disgust. Again my stomach churned and I felt pain across my heart but it was all a part of the act. I needed to play the game if I wanted to win their acceptance and trust. "There are different ways of showing the world that we have the power, other than intimidation. The humans have created technology that allows us to do anything we want. I suggest we use it to our advantage." I continued and poured myself another glass of donated blood.

"We already use technology." Marcus reminded me.

"Monitoring news media is useful but I am talking about the full scope of technology. We can have satellites give us images of entire covens. We can use street cameras, security cameras, and satellites to provide a monitoring network across the globe. For more advanced covens, as the Olympians, we can monitor their bank accounts, flight records, purchases, internet searches, the sky is the limit. No coven will ever be able to hide anything from us. Not even the Cullens."

Both vampires looked at me contemplating what I said. Caius loved the idea. I could tell by the smile on his face. My father's face was set in its usual uninterested mask but I could tell from the colors on his soul that he was intrigued.

"How would we know what to look for?" He asked me.

"Demetri can help us choose the areas that we want to target by focusing on certain covens or nomads. It wouldn't be difficult for him. We can program whatever technology is around these nomads or covens to monitor them."

"How will we program this without the humans knowing?"

"There are several technological geniuses that can be turned. We can have an entire army of hackers if we like. There are some already among the new guard."

"And you agree that the Cullens will be monitored?" Marcus asked me. It was a test. I buried my anger and smiled at him.

"Monitor them. I show no favoritism. I just happen to know that they have nothing to hide."

"It is settled. You will be in charge of this operation. Select the team you desire and have report weekly to us on the progress."

"Very well." I told him.

* * *

**_Now..._**

How I regretted those words now. I was so sure that no harm would come to my family, but here I was reading the medical records and human witness reports. We knew Renesmee and Leah were pregnant but what I didn't anticipate was that Nessie would give birth to a human female. Leah have birth to a son. Because the child was male he was very likely to become an immortal when he came of age. There were no guarantees for my niece._ My niece…_ I felt a shot of pain as I saw a picture of Nessie holding her before me. I was in my chambers, going through the report again. Her picture was haunting me. The picture was captured at a distance and it was a bit blurry but I could still tell she was beautiful, both children were, but there was something about my niece that was special. Of course, I could just be biased. I took a deep breath and prepared myself as I heard my father come in through the door. He stood next to me, looking over my shoulder as I held the picture of Nessie and little Sarah Bell Black in my hand.

"You swore your loyalty to Volterra, to me. You swore you would show no favoritism."

"She is my niece, my sister's first born child! Have you no fucking compassion for what I'm going through?!" I growled at him but he was undisturbed by my outburst. I took a deep breath trying to calm myself. "Of course you don't. Why doesn't that surprise me? All you know is power. You know nothing of family." I said softly but angrily. My father had a way of bringing out the worst in me and this was no time to show him that I wasn't in control.

"That girl is not your family. I am!" He hissed angrily at me. I looked at him for a moment and nodded. Even though he rejected me at first, my father had always loved me. Love was never the problem between us. It was the _way_ he loved me.

"I love you but I love them too. Her most of all." I told him quietly as I looked at my sister's picture. I was too depressed to respond with the proper amount of distress that I was feeling. He circled around me and sat across the table where I sat. He looked at me, judging me with his cold eyes. He hated the Cullens as much as Caius hated them. He knew that, no matter how much I love him, I would kill him before I ever let anything happen to the Cullens. There was no amount of pretending on my part to hide that fact.

"If this child chooses a human for a mate, our secrecy we'll be at risk. If this child breeds more humans and those humans breed more humans. Where will it end? How many generations apart will their family loyalty hold? You know very well that they will never turn that child to an immortal. She is a risk. We are not demanding the child's life. We are asking for a plan. Will you not demand even that from your precious sister?" He asked angrily but his tone was more subdued. I crossed my thumb across her picture. Nessie was playing with her. A tear escaped my eye but I didn't care enough to stop it. My father saw it.

"They will hate me for this. You know that I will lose them over this!"

"You disappoint me, son. Is their affection more important than your duty? Will you really let your feelings for this girl put us all at risk?" I knew this was a trick question and the answer to his question would cost me either way.

"No. I won't." I lied to him. Of course I would put them all at risk for her, but admitting this would put _her_ at risk and I could not allow that to happen. I had to play the game. I had to pretend Volterra was more important because my place as a Volturi master would guarantee their safety.

"Then write the letter. Write the letter and summon them here or I will." He got up and made his way out. I could see the frustration and hurt in his soul. I didn't know how to make the situation better. I wrote the letter and sent it with my most trusted guard, Grace. She would be able to gauge the situation and her report would allow me to make the right choice when the time came. I would make the right choice, even if it cost me my real family.

It took Grace three days to arrive with them. Renesmee, Jacob and Edward all stood before us. I guessed mom was with the baby. All three entered the throne room after Grace announced them to the court. Caius had invited many witnesses for the event. Sadistic bastard! I could see the blend of anger, hurt, disappointment and fear color their souls. At least they didn't hate me. Not yet.

"Welcome to Volterra. I do not recall asking the grandfather to come." My biological father greeted them without any emotion.

"You summoned my children here so I came." My dad, Edward, replied.

"Your summon said that my child presents a threat. How does a baby present a threat to the Volturi?" Nessie asked me angrily.

"Straight to the point, very well." I said, also without emotion. I could see the flair of anger and the hurt of betrayal grow stronger in all of them. It was truly painful to watch.

"The Volturi do congratulate you for the new addition to your family. We only wish to make you aware of the possible threats to our law that your _human_ child presents and give you a chance to provide with a plan as to how you will protect our law."

"Our child is human, but she can turn into a wolf just like her godmother." She told me. I nodded, my expression still emotionless.

"We are aware there is a female wolf but our understanding is that she is descendant of all three wolf lines. Your daughter is not. There is no guarantee that she will become an immortal." I told them. I saw more anger stir inside her but I kept my unattached disposition. Few people knew that is took merging 3 wolf lines to create female shifters. I only knew because they trusted me with this secret and I betrayed that trust. I had an image to uphold and I could not show weakness or favoritism.

"She is our daughter. She is still bound to our secret. She would never risk her family." Nessie hissed at me. I could see the fear growing in her soul as she started to realize that I was not defending her. I knew she would think that I would just protect her against my father and uncle but I couldn't. Not in the way that she expected me to.

"She may not but what of her spouse, or her children, or her great grandchildren? We are immortal, if every generation of humans is allowed to know of us, how long before our secret is revealed? Of course, you could always offer her immortality when she comes of age." My father suggested to her. His voice held a touch of condescension. I saw Jacob get angrier. He was starting to shake.

"My daughter is human and unless she phases, she will stay human! I am not letting anyone turn her or any of my grandchildren!" He growled at them. I could tell that he was using a lot of restraint. This would not go well if he lost control here.

"Then you willingly risk all of our lives!" Caius yelled angrily getting up from his throne. My dad, Edward stepped up.

"Your concern is knowledge and any possible disloyalty that future generations may have but you forget that the Quileutes have been successfully maintaining their secret for generations."

"Didn't this very wolf betray that secret? And didn't you later refuse to turn the very human he told!" Caius told him. Aro had seen the entire story in Edward's mind when he touched him. We were aware of a lot more than they would like.

"My wife _was_ turned. And Jacob told her out of ignorance, something that could have been avoided if his elders had told him the truth. As you said, we are immortal. We can be in the lives of every generation and help raise them so that they do not betray their family. They will be raised to protect our secret."

"That is a noble sentiment but humans are fickle. You cannot guarantee that they will not betray you." My father told him. He had a condescending, hateful tone again which was starting to irritate me. He was usually emotionless but he hated the Cullens too much not to let it show.

"Alice can see…"

"No." I interrupted him. I knew where he was headed and I knew my father's response to that would be. "Alice's visions are not precise. My father is right. I know you are angry but this matter doesn't just concern us, it concerns you too Jacob. Do you think human governments will not find a way to use your lineage to make genetic weapons of war? Your pack and their progeny are also at risk."

"You cannot seriously be asking me to turn my daughter." Jake told me. If I had to be honest with myself, it made me a little annoyed that he would prefer to watch his daughter die than turn her. He was married to a hybrid, for fuck's sake! I knew it was against their law but this was their kid. What was so wrong about his daughter becoming a leech when she becomes an adult?

"It is against their law and our morals. We will go to war before that happens." Edward chimed in. I sighed, I didn't need to look at my father and uncle to know that this threat was exactly what they wanted.

"I know your laws and I am not asking you to turn her. This is a human problem and, therefore, it should have a human solution. Most humans share three generations and you shall also have three generations, the immortal parents, the human children and the human grandchildren. Third generation of humans will be the last to know of immortals since they would still be at risk of turning." I announced. I saw Nessies eyes stare at me as she realized what this meant.

"This is not acceptable. The children share strong enough ties to the immortal but the grandchildren do not." Caius complained.

"The grandchildren are genetically tied to the parents who share a direct link to the immortals. They too will be at risk if they betray our secrets so their bonds will suffice. Genetically speaking, it takes five generations or more to prevent interbreeding in animals. The third generation will be close enough to the first that it will merit knowledge and direct supervision in case any of the children change." I told him.

"No! Three generations is not enough. I am immortal. I have the right to know my great grandchildren and great great grandchildren!" Nessie begged me. Her tears were like knives into my chest.

"The vast majority of humans know their grandchildren before they die and no further; thus, so will you. Any further generation of humans will remain in the dark. For the fourth generation, you will have no contact with them after it becomes obvious that you are not aging. You can keep watch for them or any future generations from a distance in case any future children turn. Is this agreeable?" I asked my father and Caius.

"Yes." My father said. Caius grunted and then nodded his approval.

"No! You can't just make a decision that impacts my family! The Volturi have no say on pack matters." Jacob told me. His voice was strong and careful.

"No. But you have married a half vampire hybrid. Her life and progeny _are_ our concern. This law will be withstanding for all past, present, and future hybrids of any kind, and their offspring. As my son said, your tribe is also at risk. As a leader you must make learn to make the hard decisions. You are still young and unaware of the consequences of immortality or the importance of maintaining our secret. I highly recommend that you heed our advice and adapt regulations of your own. This solution may benefit you as well." My father told him.

"Will you comply?" I asked them but I looked straight at Nessie. She wouldn't look at me. I felt as if a part of me was dying. I knew the moment I wrote that letter that our relationship would never be the same and looking at her soul, I was right. Edward placed his hand on her shoulder and moved forward.

"We will comply, but if the child turns to an immortal this sentence is null."

"For her, yes. For any future human children, no. This is our decision." I told him firmly.

My dad nodded. Jacob shook his head angrily and placed his arm around Nessie. She was visibly upset but it was the turmoil brewing within her that cut through me. I now knew she would never forgive me for this. Even though I knew this decision was necessary to protect our secret and, more importantly, to protect her, I had used my sister and her daughter as a scapegoat. I played right into what Marcus wanted. I just showed the world that even the Cullens had to abide by our law. What Marcus didn't know is that I only did this so that I could continue protecting them. The child was born human and I had no choice but to do this, hoping that my instincts about my niece and my family were right. Jake and Ness walked out the grand doors. Edward walked behind them but stopped before turning to look at me.

'_I'm sorry dad_,' I told him with my mind. '_I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I would never intentionally hurt any of you._'

He nodded and his soul changed and his anger weaned slightly into disappointment. Throughout this entire ordeal the love he held for me was there. It was still there now, even through his disappointment and anger.

"And it always will be." He said out loud before he tuned and left.

'_I love you too_.' I told him with my mind, knowing that he could still hear me even though he was gone.

This is not what was supposed to happen. I was supposed to get the news of my new niece and be happy. I was supposed to go home to see my sister, to hold my beautiful new niece in my arms and kiss her cheeks. I was supposed to spoil her and shower her with gifts. I was supposed to watch her grow, to give her bad advice about boys, sneak her into her first R rated movie, and take her cliff diving behind her parents back. I could see it in my head now. I could see the life I was supposed to have shatter before me and it broke my heart more than anything I had experienced before.

"You did well." My biological father said, breaking my train of thought. I could see the satisfaction in his soul. I wanted to believe that he was satisfied because I found a somewhat diplomatic solution to the problem or because I finally showed the power and strength he so highly values but I knew better. He was satisfied because any ties that I had to the Cullens were strained to the point of breaking, if not completely broken. What he didn't know, what he was incapable of understanding is that, even though blood is thicker than water, love is thicker than blood.

**The End**

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**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed part 1 of the Immortal Saga. Part 2 is titled Immortal Wolves and its coming soon so put me on your author alert or keep checking. It will be about Nessie and Leah's kids but we will see more of Duilio and the Volturi too. Thank you for reading! I know the story is complete but please review! I love to hear your input:)**


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